Weekend rainfall helpful as Metro Atlanta slides into a ‘flash drought’

Heading into the July 4th holiday weekend, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicated that not only had drought conditions developed in Georgia, but that D2 “Severe Drought” conditions had spread into portions of the state -- including Metro Atlanta.

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City notes:

In portions of the Atlanta metro and Macon areas, D2 Severe Drought has been introduced . Given the recent rainfall deficits and the abnormally high temperatures, this can be considered a ‘rapid onset’ drought, or what is often called flash drought.

The generally accepted definition of flash drought is a two-category degradation over two consecutive weeks .

The darker yellow shaded areas meet this two-category over two-weeks criteria. Without significant rainfall (>1-2″ per week), more degradations can be expected next week.

Drought Information Statements will be issued when at least one county is in D3 Extreme Drought conditions. They are released every-other Thursday.

Thankfully, widespread rain showers and thunderstorms moved over Metro Atlanta as well as the entire state of Georgia.

According to NOAA, as much as 8 to 10 inches of rainfall will be needed in the next 4 weeks to end the drought.

To put this in perspective, Metro Atlanta and Northwest Georgia will need 2 to 4 more rainfall events similar to this weekend in order to end the drought.

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