Drought — Towns, Georgia

2017-04-01 to 2017-04-30 · Towns, Georgia

Wider weather episode

Long term drought conditions over north Georgia continued to improve through April, while the short term drought over central and south Georgia worsened.

By the end of the month, the D3 Extreme Drought area improved to include only eight counties in north Georgia, all in northeast Georgia. The D2 Severe Drought area also improved to include generally a one-county periphery around the Extreme Drought. The recovery across north Georgia was fueled by an active weather pattern and above normal rainfall. Areas north of the Interstate 20 corridor received 5 to 15 inches of rain in April, or 150 to 400 percent of normal.

The short term drought conditions worsened across central and south Georgia through the month, with the D1 Moderate Drought encompassing a large area south of a line from LaGrange, to Barnesville, to Eatonton, to Louisville. This area received 1 to 6 inches of rain, or 25 to 150 percent of normal.

Rainfall deficits during this period continued to improve, with many climate sites reporting 365-day deficits of under 12 inches, or a total rainfall that was 75 to 95 percent of normal. Northeast Atlanta (KPDK), West Atlanta (KFTY), Gainesville (KGVL), and Peachtree City (KFFC) continued to have a rainfall deficits exceeding 16 inches.

By the end of April, reservoirs in north and central Georgia were continuing to recover, and many were on track to fill to expected summer pool levels. Lake Allatoona, West Point, and Carters ended the month within 2 feet of the summer pool level. The headwaters of the Chattahoochee River upstream of Lake Lanier still suffered from extremely low stream flows through the month, and although pool elevations increased, Lake Lanier ended April 8 feet below summer pool.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 690395. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.