Summer officially begins in the early morning hours of Wednesday on the East Coast and on late Tuesday evening on the West Coast.
Regardless of the season, it's already dangerously hot in the Southwest, with temperatures approaching 120 degrees in many parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona.
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The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and heat advisories across the Southwest earlier this week, and they're in place until the end of the week.
While the Southwest and even parts of the West Coast bake, nearly everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains appears to be a easing into summer with some slightly cooler than average temperatures on the way.
The forecast for the rest of the season, however, appears to be toasty for the entire country.
June, July, August and even September are all trending above average temperatures in the long-term forecast models — and we're not even into the "dog days of summer."
Follow Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyersvia the Storm Shield appon Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.
