Summer: Light on heat, a/c?

After the hottest summer on record followed by he fifth-hottest, the region should be getting a break this year.

That's the gist of the Accu-Weather outlook released this morning, which calls for near-normal temperatures during the June 1-Aug. 31 throughout the Northeast corridor, from Washington to Boston.

Those big cities also should escape any prolonged heat waves, said Paul Pastelok, the company's long-range forecaster.

The forecast counts on a broad ridge of high pressure, or heavier air, setting up over the West, said Pastelok's colleague Jack Boston. That pattern would favor a general trough, over the East.

The persistent La Nina -- generally cooler than normal waters in the tropical Pacific -- is weakening, and that the effects are evident in the United States, he said.

A symptom is the dryness in the Rockies, the western Plains, and western Texas, and that aridity is helping the aforementioned high pressure to build out that way.

Around here, Boston said he expects June and July to be on the cool side, with more heat and humidity in August.

Overall, Accu-Weather sees above-normal rainfall for the three months.

You might recall that Accu-Weather's winter forecast "was not so okay," in Boston's words.

But we wouldn't mind if this one turns out right.