New forecasts recently issued from the National Climate Prediction Center suggest that rainfall and temperatures should be near normal across the Southeast during the upcoming summer season.  It is a far cry from last summer when temperatures were well above normal with rainfall below normal until August.  It appears the driest portion of the summer will be early when rainfall is expected to be near or slightly below normal.  Tropical activity will increase during the latter portion of the summer and that is expected to contribute to increased rainfall during August and September.  The clouds and moisture are likely to hold temperatures closer to normal this summer.  July is the warmest month of the year but drier conditions expected in June could lead to some of the hottest conditions occurring at that time.  Of course, seasonal forecasting isn't perfect so there may be a few changes as we get closer to summer.