Davis Stooksbury says drought conditions will persist in north Georgia through the rest of the year even though the summer, while hotter-than-normal, will also be wetter-than-normal.
But, Stooksbury says south Georgia will be hit with a double-whammy: hotter- and drier-than-normal weather, a heat wave and a drought that will have a major impact on farmers, wells, and the natural underwater systems that many places in south Georgia depend on for their water supplies.
Stooksbury says he's amazed that the drought has lasted this long.
"Normally, when we talk about droughts in Georgia, we talk about six months to, at most, a year."
But, Stooksbury says this should be the final year of what has turned out to be one of the longest recorded droughts in the state's history.
He says its looking more and more like it will end next winter.
"Looks like right now (that is) our best hope of finally breaking this drought and saying 'it is done, it is gone,'" Stooksbury said. "Let's keep our fingers crossed on this one."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/2/198689