Looking ahead to this summer, multiple models forecast warmer-than-normal temperatures for much of the U.S., but there’s less agreement as it relates to temperature and precipitation in the central Plains, where temps could be lower and rainfall could be higher than earlier expectations. Leading up to summer, the weather story of the spring so far has been the frequency of severe storms in the Southeast and the drought conditions that continue to build in the northern Plains and western U.S. Meanwhile, parts of the upper Midwest are starting to show signs of worsening drought. Soil moisture levels are adequate in much of the Midwest right now, but they’re well short of normal in the western U.S. and northern Plains. There’s good news in the forecast in the next week for the latter region: Parched North Dakota and northern Minnesota should get considerable moisture this week in the form of snow dropped from a system that will drop south. Meanwhile, Midwestern temperatures should remain mild through this week. See more from the latest outlook.