Like much of Georgia, the weather in Gainesville last year was drier- and warmer-than-normal.
That's according to the just-released 2019 Annual Climate Summary from the Peachtree City office of the National Weather Service.
The year started with torrential rains that cause creeks, streams, and lakes the rise over their banks, creating numerous problems. But, before the year was out, most of the state was hit with a late-summer, early-fall drought.
All that rain in the early part of the year pushed the level of Lake Lanier to 1076.1, which is more than five feet above winter full pool, and it was awash in debris that had flowed into it from upstream. The high waters resulted in the closing of a number of parks around the lake and crept into the boathouses at the Lake Lanier Olympic Center.
The Lake Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club's annual Polar Bear Plunge, which is usually held on New Year's Day, was not held until Feb. 9 due to what organizers called "dangerously high water levels" in January.
BY THE NUMBERS
Statistics show that the average temperature for the year in Gainesville was 2.3 degrees above normal (63.2 degrees vs. 60.9 degrees). The biggest departure from normal was in Peachtree City, which was 4.3 degrees warmer than usual. It was the warmest year on record in Atlanta and Macon, and the thrid-warmest in Athens and Columbus.
The average temperature was above-normal in nine of the 12 months of the year in Gainesville. The highest recorded temperature, 96, occurred on Sep. 9, 12, and 17, and Oct. 3 and 4, the latter two being record highs for those dates.
Rainfall in Gainesville was 3.98 inches below normal (53.98 vs. 50.00). February was the wettest month. That's when 7.23 inches of rain was recorded. The driest was September when just over one-half inch was reported. That was during the height of a late-summer, early-fall drought that had its grip on most of Georgia.
Overall, the Peachtree City NWS report says all of North and Central Georgia was drier- and warmer-than-normal last year.
The full report can be accessed here.
