Georgia Drought Update: No Improvement - July 12 2012

Areas of central Georgia to southwest Georgia are still enduring the highest level of drought 'Exceptional Drought', which now covers 21.73 percent of the state as of July 10 2012. On June 26 2012 this area was 19.98 percent. Not far behind in this general area is a large area of 'Extreme Drought' which now covers 38.44 percent of the state as of July 10 2012. On June 26 2012 this area was 31.72 percent. The state of Georgia as a whole is experiencing drought except for the southeastern most part. 12.29 percent of Georgia is drought free as of July 10 2012, slightly worse than on June 26 2012 which showed 13.91 percent of Georgia drought free.

While some areas in Georgia have seen rain, others have not. Compounding the lack of rainfall during the past couple of weeks was the heatwave that swept through much of the south.

Here are the current drought conditions in Georgia. June 26 on the left and July 10 on the right.

Here's a look at drought conditions throughout the southeast. June 26 on the left and July 10 on the right.

Here's a panel showing Departure from Normal Precipitation Top Left, Normal Precipitation Top Right, and Observed Precipitation Bottom.

Here is the current Drought severity Index for the entire U.S. on the left and the amount of Precipitation needed to bring drought conditions to near normal on the right. Much of the country is experiencing drought conditions at this time, but this is not something we have not seen before in past years.

Here is the latest Drought Outlook for the U.S., It's not looking good during the next few months.

For us in the south and southeast we have the potential for some drought relief much like Florida saw recently. We can hope for a tropical system to move through the area in the coming months.

For all information Current to 2007 on Drought in Georgia, See The Drought Files.

Record Breaking Heat in Georgia and Alabama June 29 thru July 1 2012

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
0432 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS SO FAR TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 99 SET IN 2007.


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
0432 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT ATLANTA...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 DEGREES WAS SET AT ATLANTA SO FAR TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 99 SET IN 1954.


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
0432 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT MACON...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 108 DEGREES WAS SET AT MACON SO FAR TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 103 SET IN 1954.


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
0432 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT ATHENS...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 108 DEGREES WAS SET AT ATHENS SO FAR TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 103 SET IN 1927.


===============


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
0425 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT TUSCALOOSA...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 104 DEGREES WAS SET AT TUSCALOOSA TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 103 SET IN 1954.


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
0425 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT BIRMINGHAM...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 104 DEGREES WAS SET AT BIRMINGHAM TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 103 SET IN 1954.


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
0425 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT MONTGOMERY...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 101 DEGREES WAS SET AT MONTGOMERY TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 100 SET IN 2007.


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
0425 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2012

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT ANNISTON...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 104 DEGREES WAS SET AT ANNISTON TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 102 SET IN 1954.

==============

06-30-2012 Atlanta Hartsfield AP, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 106 °F 105 °F (07-17-1980)

06-30-2012 Columbus Metro AP, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 106 °F 105 °F (06-29-2012)

06-30-2012 Macon Middle Ga AP, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 108 °F 108 °F (07-13-1980)

06-30-2012 Helen, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 102 °F 100 °F (07-20-1986)

06-30-2012 Rome WSO AP, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 107 °F 106 °F (07-17-1980)

06-30-2012 Dallas 7 NE, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 104 °F 104 °F (08-23-2007)

06-30-2012 Sandersville, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 107 °F 107 °F (07-22-1986)

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06-29-2012 Columbus Metro AP, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 105 °F 104 °F (08-10-2007)

06-29-2012 Athens Ben Epps AP, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 109 °F 107 °F (08-21-1983)

06-29-2012 Dekalb Peachtree, GA High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 103 °F 102 °F (08-22-2007)


===========================


06-30-2012 Russellville #2, AL High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 106 °F 106 °F (08-16-2007)

06-30-2012 Muscle Shoals AP, AL High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 107 °F 107 °F (06-29-2012)

06-29-2012 Gadsden, AL High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 105 °F 105 °F (08-16-1954)

06-29-2012 Huntsville Intl AP, AL High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 106 °F 105 °F (08-16-2007)

06-29-2012 Muscle Shoals AP, AL High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 107 °F 107 °F (08-15-2007)

06-29-2012 Bankhead L&d, AL High Maximum Temp All-Time Record 107 °F 107 °F (07-08-1977)


More record breaking heat across the U.S. here

Georgia Drought Continues; Little Improvement

Many areas in Georgia and Alabama were lucky enough to see some rain the past couple of days. Many did not. The storm complex on June 28 should have, as many hinted including myself, moved through Georgia bringing much needed precipitation. Most of Alabama saw some rain in the form of showers and storms. The west side of Alabama saw more than the east side. Here in Georgia, the southern and east half of the state were the winners.
While the showers and storms fired up just north of my location where a decent amount of rain was reported, my exact location in Harris county saw only a few sprinkles while those south in Muscogee county saw more. Here is a map of the precipitation that fell across the area on June 28. The hand cursor in the expanded view points to my location.

Covering the southeast, little drought improvement can be seen from last week to this week. The areas that did see some drought relief, north Georgia and north Alabama.

In this map below we can see that the northeast corner of Georgia is now out of drought. The coverage of 'Abnormally Dry' conditions has shrank, down to 97.42 percent of the state from 100 percent a week ago. Areas experiencing 'Moderate Drought' has shrank as well, down to 85.51 percent of the state, from 87.48 percent last week. Areas of the state experiencing 'Severe, Extreme and Exceptional Drought' are unchanged from a week ago. Severe Drought still covers 74.91 percent of the state. Extreme drought covers 68.91 percent, while Exceptional drought covers 41.18 percent of the state of Georgia.

As mentioned, little has changed in drought conditions from last week to this week. We still need anywhere from 9 to 12 inches of rain to bring conditions back to normal or, no drought. The map below has not changed for our area during this past week.

What we need is a tropical system to move up from the Gulf of Mexico and sit over the southeast for a few days. This will not end drought conditions completely, but should reduce the coverage of extreme and exceptional conditions. While we did see Tropical Storm Arlene form in the gulf, she did not move north. Arlene is affecting areas well to our south in Mexico and the southern most point of Texas. Brownsville is getting some good and much needed rain.

All is not lost as Hurricane season has only just begun. While the temperature is on the rise and we may see another heatwave, some models are hinting at some relief in the form of rain in the first half of July. We'll see how that pans out as we get closer to the end of the first week of July.

Side note: With the Fourth of July coming be extra careful shooting off fireworks. It wont take much of a spark to start a fire with current conditions. Some have said they will opt for only shooting off high flying rockets, instead of the type of fireworks that stay on the ground. They say the reason is because the high flying type are out by the time the reach the ground. This is FALSE. I have personal experience of this. They DO NOT always go completely out before reaching the ground. While the type of fireworks that are ground huggers may cause a fire, it is usually within your general area and can be put out, while the fire caused by rockets are not.

Tied, not Broken : Record High Temprature : 25 consecutive above 90

Columbus tied a high temperature on June 21 2011 the first official day of Summer. Of course if you live around Columbus or in the south you may be saying like most, summer started a month ago. On May 22 2011, Columbus set a record high of 96 degrees breaking the old record of 95 set in 1996.

Yesterday June 21 2011 Columbus reached 100 degrees tying the previous record set in 2006. So far for the month of June 2011 everyday has been above 90 degrees, with the hottest so far being 102 degrees on June 1. Going back to May 2011 Columbus has seen 25 consecutive days above 90 degrees.

Maybe this will help cool you down. From March 1 2009 -

 

Drought Update : Exceptional Drought comes to Georgia

Another week without rain, another week of expanding drought in the southeast.

From the Drought Monitor Archives, you can see how drought conditions have expanded and worsened in Georgia, as well as the southeast and into the Carolinas.

Not very far from the local area to our south, 'Exceptional Drought Conditions' have crept in. This area of exceptional drought extends into a small area of Alabama as well. While other areas including Columbus have not been upgraded as of yet to exceptional drought conditions.

I dont foresee this being the case next week if we dont get some appreciable rain. I contend some in the local area are already experiencing localized exceptional drought conditions, as we have been without rain for some time now and have experienced well above normal temperatures the past few weeks, drying the soil further.

Here are the current drought conditions in the Southeast:

As mentioned above, around the local area we have not had any rain, yet we have not had our area upgraded to the most severe drought conditions, that being exceptional drought. I know many factors come into play when putting together drought information. But from my own experience, what I have seen with my own eyes and experienced here at the homestead in Cataula from previous drought and now currently, we are experiencing exceptional drought conditions.

While drought conditions have worsened for many of us in Georgia, there is one exception. The northeast corner of Georgia has been lucky to have had showers and thunderstorms which have removed drought form their area, as seen in this map showing additional precipitation needed to return conditions to normal.

In my last drought report on June 3 2011, I said the local area needed 9 to 12 inches of rain to return conditions to normal. While the map in that post as the one above doesn't reflect that, I chose to say it due to the fact across the Chattahoochee in Alabama that is what they need. Drought does not stop at the state line. We have had as Much rain here as they have had there. If we go by the map, we only need 6 to 9 inches here. Next week will be a different story without rain. Areas to our south now need anywhere from 9 to 15 inches of rain. Last week this was 6 to 12 inches.

Heres a couple photos from June 5 showing how dry it is in the front yard. It's drier now....

In this first one, you can clearly see where the septic field is. It's the only green grass in the yard.

In this one, it shows where the septic tank is located. The top is a foot under the dirt and is now a dead zone.

From a soon to be discontinued weather station located at Callaway Gardens, the Soil Moisture (12 in) is 25.9 %. I'm sure it is lower here at the homestead 20 miles south of that location.

What can we look forward to in the coming months ? According to GeorgiaDrought.org, "Through at least the middle of August, most of Georgia will likely be warmer and drier than normal."

Sure hope we get a tropical system to move our way!

For past drought posts, check Here

Little relief from heat, still bone dry

June 4, 2011, Columbus reached a high temperature of 98 degrees. Aren't you disappointed we didn't break another record ? The record for June 4 was set in 1985 and was 100 degrees.

Scattered showers in Georgia were to the south of the local area yesterday. Was hoping some would pop-up around here. Mainly here, as I cut the grass Friday. I waited as long as I could, but it really started to look shabby. It looks terrible now. As I was cutting it, I swear it was turning brown behind me. You can see where the septic tank is which is about 12 inches below the surface. It is a dirt spot now.

For Columbus according to the NWS, we are down 7.48 inches from normal rainfall for this time of year. Since January 1 Columbus has had 15.43 inches, normal being 22.91 inches. Last year at this time Columbus was about normal with 21.12 inches in the bucket. A little drier out here in Cataula.

More hot temperatures in store for the next couple of days. We will likely see 100 degrees again, if not real close. Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms should increase over the next couple of days, this however will not be enough to dent current drought conditions. Depending on timing of the rain showers / storms, some may find relief from the heat.

More Record Breaking Heat in Georgia

Yet another Record High in Columbus was set on June 3, 2011. The temperature was another scorcher of 101 degrees. The previous record high was 99 degrees in 1985.

It could be worse. Macon Georgia saw a record high as well, 103 breaking their old record or 102 also in 1985.

Other areas around Georgia also saw their share of hot temperatures. Albany saw 102 and Valdosta saw 101. However, those were not record breaking temperatures.

Record Breaking Heat in Columbus and Georgia

August 1, 2010

For June 1, 2011 The temperature reached a scorching 102 degrees in Columbus, breaking the old record of 98 degrees set in 1998.

Other Cities around the state also had highs in 100's.

ALBANY - 102
ALMA - 100
MACON - 100 RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
VALDOSTA - 100

I don't know if the others broke/set a record.

Heres some recent high temperatures from the past weeks in Columbus.

TUE MAY 31 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 96 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS TODAY.
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 96 SET BACK IN 1953.

---

MON MAY 30 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS TODAY.
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 2006.

---

SUN MAY 29 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 96 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS SO FAR
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 1962.

---

THU MAY 26 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS
YESTERDAY. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 1953.

---

WED MAY 25 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT COLUMBUS...

 THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN COLUMBUS REACHED 95 DEGREES TODAY. THIS
TIES THE RECORD FOR THAT DATE THAT WAS LAST SET 58 YEARS AGO IN 1953.

---

SUN MAY 22 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 96 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS TODAY.
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 1996.

You can see more records here - http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=ffc

I wonder what this summer will bring ? Feeling kinda Hot and Dry.

Hurricane Season Begins

Today is the start of Hurricane season and on cue we have something to watch. While this low pressure system is not expected to develop into anything tropical, it could bring rain to areas of the southeast. We need rain here in Georgia. Some areas more than others.

Looking at the Southeast Radar, already seeing some showers moving on shore from this system. At this early hour, the Jacksonville, FL Weather Forecast Office has issued a Special Marine Warning in their area. It shouldn't last long, but expect more later as the system gets closer to land.

Here are the specifics from the National Hurricane Center at this time:

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 AM EDT WED JUN 1 2011

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

A SMALL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED ABOUT 300 MILES EAST OF
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA IS PRODUCING A CONCENTRATED AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE NOT
FAVORABLE FOR SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM BEFORE IT
REACHES LAND IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO.  THERE IS A LOW CHANCE...10
PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH.  FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM...PLEASE SEE PRODUCTS FROM
YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. 

ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.

Here is the list of names for the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane season. Funny, they even tell us how to pronounce them.

NAME           PRONUNCIATION    NAME            PRONUNCIATION
-------------------------------------------------------------
ARLENE         AR LEEN-         LEE             LEE
BRET           BRET             MARIA           MUH REE- UH
CINDY          SIN- DEE         NATE            NAIT
DON            DAHN             OPHELIA         O FEEL- YA
EMILY          EH- MIH LEE      PHILIPPE        FEE LEEP-
FRANKLIN       FRANK- LIN       RINA            REE- NUH
GERT           GERT             SEAN            SHAWN
HARVEY         HAR- VEE         TAMMY           TAM- EE
IRENE          EYE REEN-        VINCE           VINSS
JOSE           HO ZAY-          WHITNEY         WHIT- NEE
KATIA          KA TEE- AH

While my focus will shift slightly to tropical weather, I'll still be watching the local weather as well for any storms that may impact the area. Speaking of local, Hot and Dry. But you know that.

Have a good day !

Georgia Drought November 2010 - Pics

When is drought non existent ? When it doesn't impact a major metropolitan area like Atlanta Georgia.

My area has been hard hit this year. The summer was extremely hot and dry. With fall now here the temps are cooling down, but rain continues to be absent in my area. I guess you could call what is happening a localized drought impact.

Here is a current picture taken November 14, 2010. You can see the overflow / spill over pipe. The lake is now down about 3 feet. Compare this picture with others posted below and you can see the drought is much worse in my area now, than it was when the southeast was in the news daily during the drought of 07/09.

Click image to enlarge

In this picture [below] taken on August 17 2010, you can see the overflow / spill over pipe. You can also see that the lake level is at about the same level, if not a little lower than it was during the drought of 2007/2009. About 2 feet down.

In this picture [below] taken on June 22 2007 you can see the level of the lake gauged by the overflow / spill over. The lake was down over a foot.

Here is an image provided by U.S. Drought Monitor, showing Georgia and areas affected by the current drought. I live in one of the areas currently classified as borderline Abnormally Dry to Moderate Drought. From my observations I would classify my localized drought as Extreme to Exceptional.

If you're a long time reader here at Cataula GA WX, you might recall my coverage during the drought that began to impact Georgia in 2007 and continued until 2009. You can read everything, and view some images here.

I made a comment back on March 31 2009, at which time the area I live was officially out of the drought. I said, "The drought situation is improving in the southeast but were not out of the woods yet. We all know what one dry hot summer can do."

The summer of 2010 is a perfect example of 'what one dry hot summer can do'. The drought has returned to some areas of Georgia. Even worse, La Niña is expected to last at least into the Northern Hemisphere spring 2011 bringing dryer warmer weather to the southeast.

Sure is hot ...

How hot is it ?

Well .. yesterday the thermometer in the front yard hit 106°F, and I didn't get a pic. Today it hit 103°F - 104°F, and I did get a pic. As you can see, it is located in an area that is partly sunny, which means it more likely reached 101°F - 102°F.

click to enlarge

One good or nice thing during our current heatwave in central Georgia [USA], the humidity has been relatively low, so heat indices have not been as high as they could have. So as some would say in areas that experience low humidity in the summer months, it's a dry heat.

I need to get my weather station up and running again for better accuracy. A nearby lightning strike in June took it out.