Atlanta’s Long Dry Spell Finally Broken (Sort Of)
Hartsfield Airport recorded . 01 (that’s one one hundredth) of an inch of rain on Friday, bringing an official end to one of the longest dry spells recorded in recent years. According to the National Weather Service, the period of 16 days without rain is the longest dry period since the fall of 2001, when no rain was recorded between October 26th and November 23rd.
The previous long dry stretch was between May 1 and May 14, 2005, when no rain was recorded at the airport. Here in Gwinnett, we recorded .05 inches of rain during that period.
September is shaping up to being one of the driest on record as well. According to the National Weather Service, the previous records for low rainfall at Atlanta airport include:
1984 0.04″
1884 0.08″
1897 0.14″
1895 0.21″
1925 0.24″
1954 0.26″
1986 0.53″
1923 0.54″
1904 0.56″
1927 0.69″
This is, of course, in great contrast with the summer period, which turned out to be one of the wettest on record, including over 14 inches of rain recorded in July. That incredible amount keeps Atlanta well over the normal rainfall amount year to date, and only 2.5 inches less than what would be expected for the entire year. Here in Lawrenceville, we are actually slightly under the normal expected rain for the year, with 35.6 inches recorded against a normal of 37.3.
Unfortunately for our lawns and gardens, all the rain earlier in the year doesn’t help now. The Climate Prediction Center is warning of a developing drought along the spine of the Appalachian mountains, from the South Carolina border, north through Virginia and Maryland. The forecast for North Georgia through the end of the month is for continued warm and dry weather.
If there’s any hope for rain, it might be through some new tropical activity. Although Ophelia had no effect on our area, a low pressure system in the Atlantic might become our newest tropical depression later today.
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