sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to National Shrimp Scampi Day!
In America, scampi is a dish consisting of shrimp cooked in butter, finely chopped garlic, lemon juice, and dry white wine. It is often served on top of linguine or another pasta. Scampi is common in Italian-American restaurants, where it is often listed on menus as shrimp scampi. In Italy, scampi is both the name of small lobsters called langoustines and the dish made with them. The crustaceans weren't available in America, so Italian-American cooks substituted shrimp when making the dish, perhaps giving it the name "shrimp scampi" to indicate it was made with shrimp, not langoustines. Shrimp scampi is celebrated and enjoyed today with National Shrimp Scampi Day.
SU News
Syracuse football shut out at 2024 NFL Draft, joining two other ACC programs without a player picked (PS; $; Carlson)
The Syracuse football team did not have a player taken in the NFL Draft when it concluded on Saturday.
Two-hundred and fifty-seven players were taken between Thursday’s first round and Saturday’s seventh round. It’s the second time in three years that the Orange did not have a player selected.
Syracuse did have two players chosen in 2023, when Matthew Bergeron and Garrett Williams were both selected in the first three rounds.
Defensive back Isaiah Johnson was widely considered Syracuse’s best bet to have a player selected although draft experts varied in whether they viewed him as a late-round pick or a priority free agent. Johnson and a handful of departing Syracuse players should still get a chance at making the NFL but they will have to go the more difficult route and try to make a team as an undrafted free agent.
Players that seem likely to sign as free agents include Chris Bleich, Caleb Okechukwu and Jason Simmons. Quarterback Garrett Shrader will be an interesting case since he is still recovering from surgery.
Syracuse was one of just three teams that played in the ACC last season that didn’t have a player selected, joining Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Among the league’s new three additions (Southern Methodist, Stanford and California), SMU also did not have a player chosen.
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Seven players with Syracuse or CNY ties sign NFL contracts after draft, including 2 from Cortland (PS; $; Carlson)
Two players from Cortland’s Division III national championship team signed NFL contracts as undrafted free agents in the hours following the NFL draft on Saturday, bringing the number of players with local ties trying to make the NFL as rookies next season to at least eight.
Cortland wide receivers Cole Burgess and JJ Laap are among that group. Burgess signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, while Laap joined the L.A. Chargers. Their signings were announced by the school.
Burgess averaged nearly 100 receiving yards per game last year for the Red Dragons, catching 87 passes for 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was named a Division III first-team All-American by The Associated Press.
Burgess came to Cortland as a two-sport athlete, competing in both baseball and football. He showcased his athleticism during testing at various pro days, putting up performances comparable to receivers taken much earlier in the draft. He is from Greenwich, Connecticut.
His partner, Laap, was nearly as productive at Cortland, catching 70 passes for 1,291 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is originally from Long Island and played for Ward Melville High School
Cortland went 14-1 last season, outscoring its opponents by more than three touchdowns per game and averaging 46.2 points. The Red Dragons won their final 12 games of the year, including a 38-37 win in the Stagg Bowl.
There are only a handful of Division III players in the NFL and the last one drafted was Quinn Meinerz, who was selected in 2021 in the third round out of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
While some transactions will continue to trickle out over the next week and more Syracuse players will likely get invites to training camps or rookie mini-camps, the two players currently give Cortland more representation in the rookie class than Syracuse.
The Orange banner will be carried into NFL training camps by at least one player.
Defensive back Isaiah Johnson, who was considered to be a potential draft pick, signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. It was the second time in three seasons in which Syracuse did not have a player taken in the draft.
One former Syracuse player was drafted. Running back Jawhar Jordan, who played two seasons at Syracuse behind star Sean Tucker before transferring to the University of Louisville, was chosen in the sixth round by the Houston Texans.
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Syracuse Football: 2026 class is No. 3 nationally, while SU commit vaults to 5 stars (itlh; Adler)
The Syracuse football 2026 class, which to date includes at least three highly rated verbal commits, ranked in the top five around the country by both the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and when I wrote this article on Sunday.
Now, I'm the first to acknowledge that it's super early for this cycle, as 2026 prospects will soon wrap up their sophomore years of high school. In any event, to say that head coach Fran Brown and his staff are off to a fast start in this class is a supreme understatement.
Over the past month, the Orange has landed at least three verbal pledges from 2026 players. All three of them are rated at least four stars and in the top 250 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Two of these 'Cuse commits, on Sunday, were in the top 65 overall of the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite. That's pretty remarkable, in my humble opinion.
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Syracuse football 3-star, nationally ranked commits, recruits lock in official visits (itlh; Adler)
From late May and throughout the month of June, Syracuse football coaches will welcome a ton of 2025 commits and recruiting targets to the Hill for official visits.
I've documented, lately, that numerous four-star recruits will be on the SU campus in the coming weeks on official visits.
In recent days, by extension, several high three-star commits and targets have also revealed their upcoming official visits to Central New York via social media posts.
I'm biased as a Syracuse University alum, but is there a program out there nationwide crushing it more than the Orange on the recruiting trail these days in the 2025 cycle? I think you'd be hard-pressed to find one.
Let's review some 2025 three-star commits and targets who will officially visit Syracuse football.
Three-star athlete/defensive back Marcus Upton of Winslow Township High School in Atco, N.J., says that he will officially visit the Orange from May 31 to June 2. The 6-foot-1,188-pound Upton, who verbally pledged to the 'Cuse in late March, is a top-500 national prospect in the 2025 class, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Three-star wide receiver Terrell Wilfong out of West Orange High School in West Orange, N.J., will take an official visit to Syracuse football from May 31 to June 2. The 6-foot-5, 176-pound Wilfong, who verbally committed to the Orange about a week ago, is ranked in the top 500 nationally of the 2025 class by the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking.
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Syracuse football remains in mix for 4-star WR Carl Jenkins Jr., who recently visited (itlh; Adler)
Carl Jenkins Jr., a talented 2025 four-star wide receiver from Florida who visited Syracuse football earlier this month, has included the 'Cuse among his six finalists.
His top six includes the Orange, Illinois, UCF, USF, fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Louisville and Mississippi State, according to a post on X.
Throughout his recruitment, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Jenkins has hauled in around 30 scholarship offers, according to recruiting services. Per a post on X from January 10 of this year, it was at that time Jenkins picked up a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse staff.BREAKING: CO/25 4️ WR Carl Jenkins Jr ( @thecarljenkins ) has cut his list down to
schools
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Jenkins is a 6’3 ( 180 LBS ) WR out of St. Augustine, FL. The Deep Threat WR put up 1273 yards and 16 TDs his junior season at St Augustine HS
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Let him know what’s the move?pic.twitter.com/O8ZarWzwkf
— Steezo (@SteezoDsgn) April 26, 2024
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Former Syracuse football player Ja’Had Carter back in transfer portal after 1 year at Ohio State (report) (PS; $; Carlson)
Former Syracuse defensive back Ja’Had Carter has entered his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal again following one season at Ohio State.
Carter’s decision was reported by a number of prominent college football reporters, with college football recruiting writer Mike Farrell coming first.
Before choosing to transfer Carter was performing well at Syracuse. He had earned an All-ACC honorable mention during his third season with the program, starting 10 games and leading the team with three interceptions.
He was considered a high-end pick-up by Ohio State in the transfer portal last year, ranked as the No. 68 player available and the No. 5 safety by On3.com.
He was beaten out for the starting job at Ohio State and saw limited action. Carter made just five tackles in eight games.
Carter, a native of Richmond, Virginia, was listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Ohio State added Alabama transfer safety Caleb Downs this offseason and the expectation is he will start for the Buckeyes next year. Downs was ranked as the No. 1 player in the country in the transfer portal this season by On3.
Carter was part of a solid contingent of Syracuse players that left the team via the transfer portal before last season. The most notable members of that group were Duce Chestnut (LSU), Jatius Geer (South Carolina) and Justin Lamson (Stanford).
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Syracuse football recruiting: Orange land commitment from 2025 LB Antoine Deslauriers (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange picked up another 2025 commitment on Friday. Linebacker Antoine Deslauriers announced his commitment to Syracuse over a slew of offers.
The 6’1” 225 lb linebacker is originally from Montreal, but is playing now for Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Georgia. Deslauriers had offers from a host of schools with Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami, Tennessee and Ole Miss among the biggest names.
Last season Deslauriers had 72 tackles (18 for loss), 2 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles across 14 games. He’s rated three stars by On3 and ESPN, but both have him among the top 100 linebackers in his class. With the offers he had, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up rated higher.
Syracuse’s 2025 class is now up to 19 commits and ranks 9th on 247 and 27th on On3.
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(youtube; podcast; Life and Football)
Fran Brown PROMOTING PLAYERS NFL DRAFT 25 | Syracuse Life and Football
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "Who better than one of the top linebackers in the @NFL to come home for the spring game and share knowledge with the guys. Thanks for coming through, @zaire__"
2,304 likes, 25 comments - cusefootball on April 28, 2024: "Who better than one of the top linebackers in the @NFL to come home for the spring game and share knowledge with the guys. Thanks for c...".
www.instagram.com
Syracuse football’s Isaiah Johnson signs with Miami Dolphins as undrafted free agent (PS; $; Carlson)
Syracuse football defensive back Isaiah Johnson has signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, according to sports agency Exclusive Sports Group.
Johnson came into this weekend’s NFL Draft as the Orange’s most intriguing name thanks to having excellent size for a cornerback and solid production throughout his college career.
At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds Johnson possesses the rangy frame that the NFL prioritizes at defensive back, although his lack of ideal NFL footspeed generated questions about whether his best fit was at the professional level would be at cornerback or safety.
Johnson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds during the NFL Combine, toward the slow end of players considered to be NFL prospects. He went undrafted.
Syracuse defensive backs developed under former head coach Dino Babers have done well in the NFL in recent years with Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Garrett Williams all getting drafted and sticking on NFL rosters.
Johnson will look to do the same, although he will have an uphill battle as an undrafted free agent.
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Fizz Five 4/28:Transfer Portal Update, ACC Football Rankings, and Lacrosse Updates (orangefizz.net; podcast; Aitken)
1. Dakota Leffew Picks Georgia (1:05)
2. Jaquan Carlos Commits (6:30)
3. William Patterson Transfers (11:27)
4. Locked On vs. CFBudge (14:07)
5. Lacrosse Postseason Update (18:57)
Gators still in it for blue-chip 2026 S committed to Syracuse (usatoday.com; Rosenberg)
Heritage (Palm Bay, Florida) safety Demetres Samuel Jr. surprised many when he committed early to Syracuse at the end of last month, but the class of 2026 blue-chipper ended April with a visit to the Univeristy of Florida, according to 247Sports.
Commitments are starting to mean less and less in college football, and Florida has the advantages of being in-state and an SEC school over Syracuse. Still, players don’t just flip on a whim. This is the start of a long process Florida must go through to earn Samuel’s trust.
Samuel talks UF trip
“It was great,” Samuel Jr. said to 247Sports. “Really had a chance to get some one-on-one time, and I truly enjoyed it. One of the highest for me I would say was when I got to talk to Coach [Billy] Napier. He just kept it real, and tried his best to make it feel like home. They really made it known they want me at UF.”
Samuel spent time with defensive backs coach Will Harris, who would be his position coach at Florida, even if he ends up switching to corner or nickel.
“I got time around Coach Harris also. It was great definitely, and we had a great conversation. He was just saying he wants me to join the family… He said he wants me to play anywhere in the secondary. Just me making plays basically.”
This is just the beginning
“We are just starting to build it,” Samuel said of his relationship with Harris to Gators Online. “It’s new since I recently got the offer, but it’s definitely going to be special.”
Samuel does have a familial connection to the school — NFL safety and former Florida Gators Marcus Maye is his cousin.
“He is always pushing for me to go there,” said Samuel.
Where does Florida stand in his recruitment?
“They are definitely high in my recruitment. I’ll say they are top three,” said Samuel. “It’s going to be a long ride and they are going to be in it, so we will see.”
Florida is one of a handful of school still pushing for Samuel. Georgia, Louisville and Miami will get him on campus over the summer, and he’s likely to stop by Syracuse a few more times since he’s committed there. Still, it’s UF that Samuel says is the team with the best shot of flipping him.
“I mean they’re always going to be big in my recruitment, because I grew up bleeding Blue and Orange.”
Recruiting Summary
Samuel is a four-star recruit by 247Sports and On3’s measure, but has him listed as a three-star talent. ESPN has yet to evaluate him or any of the class of 2026.The On3 industry ranking, which considers all four major recruiting services, puts him at No. 139 nationally and No. 6 among athletes, while the 247Sports composite has him at Nos. 61 and 5 (safety).
The On3 recruiting prediction machine favors Florida to complete the flip, giving the Gators 44.9% of the prediction.
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ACC News
2024 ACC-vs-B1G games (RX; HM)
2024 ACC-vs-B1G games
Ever since Maryland announced it was leaving the ACC to join the Big Ten, there has been a heightened level of rivalry between the two conferences. Really, the ACC would've been wise to recognize the B1G threat even before Penn State joined that league, but now it's at DefCon One!
So it's against that backdrop that five ACC teams play five Big Ten teams this Fall in football. Here are the matchups:
This year, 3 of 5 (60%) of the ACC/B1G games are on ACC home turf. That's not the deciding factor in every game, but it could be important in which teams will win. Here's my analysis...
COMMENTS:
- UNC would beat Minnesota in Chapel Hill, but home field may be enough to put the Gophers on top in what is essentially a pick 'em game.
- Duke looks like the favorite on the road here (let's say by a field goal).
- Maryland should beat UVA in a blow-out.
- BC is not quite as good as Michigan State, but it's close enough so that the home team should prevail.
- VT should win a close one at home, too.
2024 NFL Draft, Final Count (RX; HM)
2024 NFL Draft, Final Count
From the official ACC release of Saturday, April 27, 2024...
The Atlantic Coast Conference had a total of 41 football players selected over the seven rounds of the 2024 National Football League Draft this weekend in Detroit, Michigan. The ACC finished with 41 picks representing 11 different institutions. The 41 picks are the most in a single draft since the league had 42 players selected in 2021.
A total of four ACC players were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye was the first ACC player selected, going No. 3 overall to the New England Patriots. Florida State defensive lineman Jared Verse was picked No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton was taken No. 26 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins was selected No. 30 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.
In the second and third rounds of day two of the NFL Draft on Friday, the ACC had 11 players selected, including four in the second and seven in the third round. Three ACC players were chosen over the first seven picks of the second round, as Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman was the first pick in the second round at No. 33 overall to the Buffalo Bills. Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro was taken two spots later at No. 35 overall to the Atlanta Falcons, while Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske joined his teammate Verse in being chosen by the Los Angeles Rams at No. 39 overall. Fellow Seminole Renardo Green was also selected in the second round, as the cornerback was picked No. 64 overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
Seven ACC players were drafted in the third round, representing six schools on the draft board. The fifth Seminole to be selected in the NFL Draft was running back Trey Benson at No. 66 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Pitt’s first pick of the draft came by way of offensive lineman Matt Goncalves at No. 79 to the Indianapolis Colts, while Boston College cornerback Elijah Jones was selected at No. 90 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Jones’ pick started a run of ACC players to close out the third round, as Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter went No. 95 overall to the Buffalo Bills and Florida State cornerback Jarrian Jones was next picked at No. 96 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year NC State linebacker Payton Wilson was selected at No. 98 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers, one spot ahead of Miami safety Kamren Kinchens at No. 99 by the Los Angeles Rams.
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2024 ACC-vs-SEC games (RX; HM)
2024 ACC-vs-SEC games
The ACC has a special relationship with the SEC - kind of a little brother/big brother rivalry in football. The two conferences will now overlap in five states (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Texas), with traditional season-ending rivalry games in four of those states.
The schedule for ACC-vs-SEC non-conference games is currently divided into two parts: early season and season-ending (aka "Rivalry Week"). While the Rivalry Week games are annual, the early season games vary from year-to-year.
Here are the early-season ACC-vs-SEC games for the 2024 season:
08/31/24 Va Tech @ Vanderbilt
08/31/24 Miami @ Florida (rivalry)
08/31/24 Clemson/Georgia (Atlanta)
09/07/24 Tennessee/NC State (Charlotte)
09/14/24 BC @ Missouri
09/14/24 Ole Miss @ Wake Forest
09/07/24 Cal @ Auburn
One of those is a big in-state rivalry which has taken a back seat because of conference realignment. The game between Miami and Florida was once as big as (or bigger than) the Florida/FSU rivalry game. It will be good to see that one renewed this Fall!
A huge game that was annual for many years before realignment is the Clemson/Georgia game. These schools are geographically very close, despite being in different (but neighboring) states. The fact that both are recent national champions just adds to the fan interest in this match-up.
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2024 NFL Draft Rounds 2 and 3 (RX; HM)
2024 NFL Draft Rounds 2 and 3
From the official ACC release of Friday, April 26, 2024...
ACC Football with 11 Players Selected on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – On day two of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) Draft, a total of 11 Atlantic Coast Conference football players were selected in the second and third rounds on Friday night in Detroit, Michigan.
Over the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, a total of 15 student-athletes from the ACC have been selected.
The 2024 NFL Draft will resume at noon ET on Saturday with Rounds 4-7.
Keon Coleman, Florida State, Wide Receiver – No. 33, Buffalo Bills
Named a first-team All-American as an all-purpose player by Action Network, a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports, and a Phil Steele fourth-team All-American, Coleman garnered first-team All-ACC honors as a wide receiver, all-purpose player, and return specialist in his lone season in Tallahassee to become the first Florida State player to earn three first-team all-conference honors in one season. The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 300 yards on 25 punt returns this season. His 11 receiving touchdowns were the most in the ACC and tied for 11th nationally, while his punt return yards total was the highest in the ACC and the third-most nationally....
Miami Makes STATEMENT In The Portal With Damien Martinez, Season-Defining Games In The ACC? (youtube; podcast; Locked on ACC)
The Miami Hurricanes have secured a commitment from their top Transfer Portal target. First Team All-PAC 12 selection Damien Martinez has chosen Miami over Arizona, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Kentucky. Martinez rushed for an impressive 1,185 yards with 9 touchdowns last season at Oregon State. Miami will team him up with quarterback Cam Ward in hopes of creating a playoff caliber offense. The Hurricanes are building an offense that looks, on paper, like they can contend for an ACC title, but will the defense be up to snuff?
The ACC is now DEAD! Clemson and FSU to leave before the start of the 2024 Season!! (youtube; podcast; Wrecktalk)
The ACC is now DEAD! Clemson and FSU to leave before the start of the 2024 Season!!
Other
Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com
Grateful tenants move into Syracuse’s largest affordable housing project in years: ‘A blessing’ (PS; $; Moriarty)
Luz Couvertier feels like she and her newborn son hit the housing lottery. Because they literally did.
Couvertier’s name was the fourth one called when Housing Visions, a not-for-profit organization that develops affordable housing in Syracuse, held a lottery late last year for 128 new apartments in a century-old Syracuse factory famous for the house on its roof. More than 500 people submitted applications to live in the former carriage and car factory.
On April 1, she became one of the first tenants to move into the Moyer Carriage Lofts on Syracuse’s North Side.
“Especially being that everything is newly renovated, like I’m the first person to live in this apartment,” said Couvertier. “It’s nice. It’s really nice. It’s got an island in the kitchen. It’s really nice.”
Moyer Carriage Lofts adds more affordable apartments than any other project to the Syracuse area since the 240-unit Riverknoll at Radisson complex completed its third phase in 2016.
For Couvertier, 29, her new one-bedroom apartment is part of a new start in life.
Couvertier was released from prison in June 2021 after serving 17 months of a two-year sentence for stabbing a woman in a fight at a tattoo parlor. She said she was paroled early because of good behavior and has stayed out of trouble, calling her time in prison a “life-changing experience.”
“I’m on the right path now,” she said. “That made me really change my life.”
Finding an apartment she could afford was a challenge, though. Before moving into her loft at the Moyer building, Couvertier had been living with her mother, sleeping on a couch. She said she began looking for an apartment of her own after her son, L’Oyal, was born in August.
A certified nursing assistant, Couvertier said she has not been able to work because she has to take care of her son, who has medical needs related to being born 13 weeks premature. And rents have gone out of sight, even with a subsidy under the government’s Section 8 voucher program, she said.
“A lot of places want almost $2,000 a month,” she said.
Not at Moyer Carriage Lofts. Rent for her one-bedroom apartment is $896. Her government voucher covers it all, she said.
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What spring? Upstate NY will leap from sub-freezing to summerlike 80s (PS; Coin)
Did you feel a little chilly this morning? Don’t worry -- summer weather will arrive this weekend.
After hitting 29 degrees this morning, Syracuse will likely be in the upper 70s by Sunday and into the 80s on Monday, the National Weather Service said. Monday would be the first day to crack 80 degrees since a four-day stretch of 80-plus temperatures in early October.
That would also be about 20 degrees above normal for the end of April.
There’s a chance for rain on Saturday and Sunday, with a quarter of an inch possible. Monday should be sunny, with rain edging back into the forecast Tuesday through Thursday. Temperatures will remain well above normal, in the high 60s and 70s, and there’s a chance for thunderstorms midweek.
The outlook for May tilts slightly toward a warmer than normal month. It also looks to be a warm summer: The weather service’s Climate Prediction Center says the odds are better than 50-50 that May, June and July as a whole will be warmer than normal.
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