Random Weather Thoughts
A few things of interest to the weather community:
The first tropical storm of the season has developed in the Eastern Pacific Basin. Tropical Storm Alma is currently passing over Nicaragua in Central America, and is forecast to dissipate as she heads north towards the Yucatan peninsula. The Atlantic tropical season starts on Sunday.While some runs of the GFS model indicated some sort of storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, it appears that it was either a false alarm, or the GFS was really picking up on Alma.
The drought continues to diminish somewhat. Last week, all of metro Atlanta dropped from the extreme drought category to simply severe. As of this week, only Stephens, Franklin, Hart and Elbert counties in northeast Georgia are in extreme drought conditions, and 27% of the state is in a severe drought, including most of the area covered by the level four drought conditions.
Meanwhile, the Georgia EPD further relaxed watering restrictions for golf courses, which previously had only been allowed to water their greens. As of today, the new order from state EPD chief Carol Couch says that fairways and tee boxes can be watered, however golf courses can use only 65% of the water they used in 2005 or 2006.
This is actually a good thing, since golf courses typically get their water from natural lakes or ponds rather than the municipal water systems, and they contribute to the economy both directly and indirectly.
It looks like the hot, humid days of summer may be upon us. Despite today’s cooler than normal weather, caused by cold air damming that kept the clouds around and the temperatures low, the weather service says highs will be in the upper 80s beginning Saturday and continuing all next week. In addition, dewpoints are going to stay in the 60s, meaning you’ll feel the humidity and the heat more than you have since last summer. Accuweather is predicting a high of 93 for Tuesday, which would be the first time this year we’ve broken 90.
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June 4th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Astonishing! A drought in Georgia from 1998-2003, and now an endless drought (worst in 100 years) from early 2006 - present! The scary thing is it shows no signs whatsoever of going away! Here are comments from Georgia State Climatologist David Stooksbury:
June 1, 2007
Extremely dry May sets records in Georgia
May is often dry, but this one set record lows for rainfall.
An extremely dry May is setting low rainfall records across Georgia. May is traditionally one of the drier months, with rainfall normally averaging 3 to 4 inches across the state.
By David Emory Stooksbury
University of Georgia
Athens, Ga. –- An extremely dry May is setting low rainfall records across Georgia. May is traditionally one of the drier months, with rainfall normally averaging 3 to 4 inches across the state.
No rain was recorded in May in many places from near Macon to south of Albany. University of Georgia weather stations recording no rain in May in this area were Arabi, Camilla, Cordele, Jeffersonville and Newton.
With little to no rain in May, drought conditions in the lower Flint River Valley and middle Georgia have deteriorated very fast. Much of this region will be reclassified on Monday as being in extreme drought.
May rainfall set preliminary record lows at Camilla (0.00 inches), Cedartown (0.80), Macon (less than 0.01), Plains (0.00 tied 1962), Rome (0.22), Tifton (0.02) and Valdosta (0.20 tied 1920).
Total April and May rainfall set preliminary record lows at Alma (0.42 inches), Camilla (0.58 tied 1986), Cedartown (2.36), Plains (0.35), Rome (0.35), Tifton (0.02) and Valdosta (0.65).
More records
Rainfall totals for March through May set preliminary record lows at Alma (2.39 inches), Atlanta airport (5.07), Camilla (2.08), Macon (3.59), Plains (2.32), Rome (2.40), Tifton (1.90) and Valdosta (0.69).
Based on preliminary data, June 2006 through May 2007 rainfall set record lows for that period at Alma (29.82 inches) and Rome (31.97).
UGA weather stations with less than 0.25 inches of rain in May were Alapaha (0.16 inches), Alma (0.19), Arabi (0.00), Attapulgus (0.19), Byromville (0.13), Byron (0.03), Cairo (0.24), Calhoun (0.06), Camilla (0.00), Cordele (0.00), Dawson (0.01), Dixie (0.02), Eatonton (0.17), Fort Valley (0.17), Homerville (0.18), Jeffersonville (0.00), Moultrie (0.06), Newton (0.00), Plains (0.02), Sasser (0.13), Shellman (0.03), Tifton (0.01), Ty Ty (0.08), Unadilla (0.18), Vidalia (0.01) and Vienna (0.12).
Since the planting season started in full force April 1, several UGA weather stations have had less than 2 inches of rain. These are Alapaha (0.40 inches), Alma (0.20), Attapulgus (0.61), Brunswick (1.41), Cairo (1.00), Calhoun (1.23), Camilla (1.56), Dixie (0.48), Douglas (0.37), Eatonton, (1.11), Fort Valley (1.46), Griffin (1.88), Homerville (0.24), Moultrie (0.24), Nahunta (0.80), Rome (1.62), Savannah(1.29), Skidaway Island (1.87), Statesboro (1.77), Tifton (0.46), Ty Ty (1.02), Valdosta (1.15), Vidalia (0.71) and Woodbine (1.32).
June 17th, 2008 at 2:58 am
[...] Jon Richards added an interesting post on Random Weather ThoughtsHere’s a small excerptMeanwhile, the Georgia EPD further relaxed watering restrictions for golf courses, which previously had only been allowed to water their greens. As of today, the new order from state EPD chief Carol Couch says that fairways and tee … [...]