Drought Conditions Worsen across Southeast Georgia

Drought conditions are expanding across the area... and according to the latest United States Drought Monitor... severe drought is now occuring south of I-16 in southeast Georgia... with moderate drought along and north of I-16 in southeast Georgia.

Rainfall has been sparse at best... and in Savannah we are around 12 inches of rain below normal for the year... with only .22 inches of rain so far in November... around 2 inches of rain below normal for the month.

During the late summer and fall, Georgia depends on tropical weather to bring much-needed rain. This fall has been very dry with most of the state receiving less than 70 percent of normal rain. Many locations in the coastal plain and coastal Georgia have received 50 percent or less of normal rain over the past three months.

Soil moisture conditions along the Georgia coast into southeast Georgia are near the 1st percentile for this time of year. Being at the first percentile, we would expect more moisture in the soils in these areas 99 out of 100 years.

Also, the Okefenokee Swamp is very dry.

Wildfire risks have increased across the state due to dry conditions and falling leaves. Anyone outdoors should be cautious when using equipment that can cause sparks. Special vigilance is needed with any outdoor fires. Check with the local fire department or the Georgia Forestry Commission concerning restrictions and outdoor burn permits.

Georgia depends on winter and spring rains combined with cool temperatures to recharge soil moisture, groundwater, streams and reservoirs. The fall and spring climate outlooks do not hold much promise for drought recovery. Climatic conditions are expected to be warmer than normal and drier than normal through the spring of 2011 as a result of a strong La Nina wetaher pattern which has formed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America.

Though Georgians can expect a warmer and drier cool season, it doesn’t mean there will not be periods of cold, wet weather. It is winter, and the state will have some cold, wet weather.

The winter and early spring weather outlook is based on the most likely outcome. There is still a chance the winter could average colder than normal and/or wetter than normal. However, these are relatively low probabilities.