Ready your sunglasses and umbrellas. Experts expect a hot, rainy summer in Centre County
Get ready for a hot and rainy Centre County summer. National Weather Service State College meteorologist Craig Evanego said officials expect higher than normal temperatures and more precipitation in the area than typical this season.
The Climate Prediction Center, a NWS branch, released a seasonal temperature outlook May 19 for the months of July, August and September. The map indicates most of Pennsylvania has a 50% to 60% chance of above normal temperatures, and a sliver of the western part of the commonwealth has a 40% to 50% likelihood of the hotter days.
Climate Prediction Center officials do not typically estimate the magnitude of projected seasonal temperatures, so there’s no single answer to how much hotter the region’s temperatures may get or by how much rainfall may increase.
A typical June in State College has a high temperature of 77 degrees, a low of 59.3 and a mean temperature of 68.1 degrees. The month usually sees 4.09 total inches of precipitation.
July has the highest average temperatures of the year, peaking at 81.1 degrees mean, with a low of 63.3. August is the rainiest month, with an average of 4.16 total inches of precipitation.
To help beat the heat this summer, Evanego provided some advice on staying cool. One thing you can do is stay indoors or at least in the shade in the mid afternoon, when it’s hottest.
“If you have to be outside, making sure that you stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water,” Evanego said.
Other things you can do is apply sunscreen, wear light-colored clothing and limit strenuous outdoor activities midday.
It’s also important to never leave a person or animal in a car, as a locked vehicle can reach up to 170 degrees inside, according to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
The Mayo Clinic provides a list of ways to help prevent heat exhaustion:
Wear loose, lightweight clothing.
Protect against sunburn with sunscreen with SPF of at least 15. Apply generously, and reapply every two hours, or more often if you are sweating or swimming.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Take precautions with certain medications. Some medicine can affect your body’s ability to regulate temperature.
Never leave anyone in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked and it’s parked in the shade. The temperature inside the car may be up to 20 degrees higher than outside after just 10 minutes.
Take it easy during the hottest parts of the day. Try to schedule exercise or physical labor for early morning or evening.
Get acclimated. It can take several weeks for your body to adjust to the warmer weather, so limit time working or exercising in the heat till you have had gentler exposure.
Be cautious if you are at an increased risk and pay attention to signs of overheating.
Signs of heatstroke
Symptoms of heatstroke to watch out for include high body temperature, alerted mental state/behavior, nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing, a racing heart rate and headache.
Another sign the Mayo Clinic warns of is an alteration in sweating. If you’re experiencing heatstroke due to hot weather, your skin could become hot and dry. If strenuous exercise has caused the issue, your skin may be dry or slightly moist.
