Will Greenville and Upstate have hotter, wetter weather than usual this spring? Here’s the forecast
Looks like it will be warmer than normal this spring in Greenville and the Upstate, the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center said.
The agency’s recent report said Greenville and the Upstate will have a 33% to 40% chance of above normal temperatures.
Average temperatures in the Upstate are 65 high/42 low in March, 74/50 in April and 80/59 in May.
The Climate Prediction Center said Greenville’s chance for more rainfall is 50-50. The Upstate usually gets about 4 inches of rain each month in March, April and May.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted April will be drier than usual and May slightly wetter in the South.
The almanac uses solar science, climatology and meteorology to make its predictions.
AccuWeather says warm weather will arrive quickly in the South, where last year temperatures were among the highest on record. This year should be more of the same.
AccuWeather long-range expert Paul Pastelok said, “Dryness may also intensify in parts of the Plains and Southeast.”
The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2 agreed that temperatures will be warmer than average for the Southeast, but the weakening La Niña makes predictions a bit uncertain.
“Why is there uncertainty?” the company said. “With more neutral temperatures in the Pacific, you have a smaller difference between temperatures between hemispheres as summer is ending in the Southern Hemisphere and winter is wrapping up in the Northern Hemisphere.
You also have weaker winds at the Equator due to the less extreme differences between hemispheres, and the winds are the main driving factor for El Niño and La Niña.”
Spring officially begins at 10:46 a.m. EDT on March 20.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac had these spring suggestions for gardeners:
Watch for faster soil drying, especially in exposed or sandy soils, early growth spurts and stress on young plants, which may need to be shaded.
Monitor soil moisture and water deeply when needed.
Apply mulch.