Spring Outlook from NOAA Says Warm Weather Ahead
NOAA has released its Spring weather outlook, covering the period from April through June. Some might argue that meteorological Spring started back on March first, but I won’t argue that point now. In any case, it looks like much of the South, West and Plains states will enjoy warmer than normal temperatures, while most of the country could see equal chances of above, below, or normal precipitation.
The only part of the United States that will likely see cooler weather is the coastal region of Southern California. The country’s midsection will probably be warmer than normal, and the Midwest and Northeast could be warmer or cooler than normal. Here in North Georgia, we’re on the edge of the predicted warm area.
No part of the country is expected to be wetter than normal this spring, while Louisiana and Eastern Texas, along with Hawaii and a big patch of the Southwest are predicted to be drier than normal. On the drought front, no problems are predicted for Georgia, however Florida is likely to see its drought continue.
Taking a look back at the recent winter season, the US ended up with near normal temperatures overall, albeit with some wide variations along the way. Georgia’s temperatures were the 77th warmest out of 112 years of recordkeeping, just above normal. The nation’s midsection experienced wetter than normal conditions, while the east and west coasts were dry. Georgia ended up being the 31st driest of the 112 years on record.
Temperatures so far in March are averaging about 6 degrees above normal in Gainesville, 4.3 degrees above in Athens, and 5.1 degrees above in Atlanta. Even with today’s rainfall, we’re also running drier than normal this month. The warm temperatures are bringing out the cherry trees and even azaleas a bit earlier than normal, even as the daffodils are just beginning to fade.
Spring’s advance will be slowed a bit this weekend, however, with overnight temperatures Saturday night quite possibly dropping below freezing. By Monday, however, the cold weather is likely to be only a memory, as the long-range forecasts through the end of the month are calling for above normal temperatures.
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