Fox News Weather Center

Use AccuWeather's 45-Day Forecast to Plan for Labor Day, Fall Events

Temperature and precipitation trends in AccuWeather's 45-Day Forecast can help with Labor Day weekend, back-to-school and fall football planning.

AccuWeather Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said that people should not use long-range forecasts as a strict guide but rather look at how the weather patterns evolve.

A typical weather pattern involves a storm crossing the U.S. every three to five days or so, and long-range forecasts can show the trends in precipitation and temperatures as a result.

"On average, a given weather pattern may last three to five days, but there are some exceptions where you can lock into longer patterns of sunshine or cloudy weather," Sosnowski said. "This spring has been a good example of a longer-lasting weather pattern."

Drier and warmer spells versus cooler and wetter periods can be spotted in the AccuWeather 45-Day Forecast. Weather trends can be observed by watching how far above or below normal temperatures are expected to be and by following the chance of precipitation and precipitation amounts.

Each day in the AccuWeather 45-Day Forecast includes the forecast high and low temperatures, the patented AccuWeather RealFeel® temperature, sky conditions and chance of precipitation, wind speed and direction, rain, snow and ice amounts, thunderstorm probability, cloud cover and UV index.

Along with the forecast, historical information, such as normal temperatures, records and temperatures recorded one year ago, is provided.

If the 45-Day Forecast shows an expected high of 85 degrees and sunshine for Labor Day, the normal high for the date is 80 degrees and the record high for the date is 98 degrees, a lot of information can be gathered. Conclusions such as "an outdoor BBQ or swimming should be fair game" can be made.

Or, if you are planning a tailgate for a college football game and the 45-Day Forecast shows a trend of below-normal temperatures and rain on the date, you might want to plan ahead and invest in a canopy and heaters.