Climatologists and hydrologists use five indicators of drought: rainfall, soil moisture, stream flows, lake levels and groundwater level.
According to State Climatologist David Stooksbury, four of the five indicators of drought are near normal to above normal. Only groundwater levels are slow to recover.
Stooksbury says the continuation of the El Nino weather pattern indicates that
"near-normal to above-normal rainfall should continue across most of the
state."
He says Georgia has received bountiful rain since the middle of September. The September rains ended the short-term or agricultural drought.
Rainfall for Hall County, according to the National Weather Service, for 2002, on the last day of the year, was just under 60 inches, that's about six inches more than the yearly average.
Stooksbury say for many row-crop farmers, the timing of the rain made a bad crop year worse. The rains were too late to help most crops but delayed harvesting of cotton and peanuts. They also lowered the quality of cotton and
pecans.
The September rains did revive pastures and allowed cattle and dairy producers to save hay until the winter.
The plentiful rains that started in September have continued through late December, according to Stooksbury. He says many locations were near ten inches below normal in yearly rainfall in early September. The yearly rainfall deficits have been almost eliminated.
"With rainfall expected on Dec. 31, all major weather stations across Georgia will end the year with more than 90 percent of normal yearly rainfall," Stooksbury added.
The only drought indicator that remains below normal is groundwater level. Monitoring wells in south Georgia are showing improving
groundwater levels, but levels remain low. Unlike last winter, good rechar
ge of the groundwater is being recorded. With a continuation of good rainfall, groundwater levels should continue to recover through the
spring.
Stooksbury says with the continuation of an El Nino weather pattern through spring, Georgians can expect a continuation of recent weather patterns.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/1/186063