Heat wave moving into N. Ga.; drought persists

GAINESVILLE - The heat wave that has been baking parts of the southwest and Rocky Mountains region the past several days (see separate story) is moving into North Georgia and drought conditions remain over most of the state.

The AccuWeather forecast calls for record or near-record highs in Gainesville as we move toward and into the weekend, with triple-digit readings forecast Friday and Saturday. The high in Gainesville Thursday at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport was 96; the AccuWeather forecast was for 95. The record for the date is 102, which was set in 1952.

The forecast highs for Friday through next Wednesday, with the record highs for each date in parenthesis:

Friday June 29 102 (102 in 1931)
Saturday June 30 100 ( 99 in 1952)
Sunday July 1 97 (100 in 1954)
Monday July 2 95 ( 99 in 1954)
Tuesday July 3 97 ( 98 in 1931)
Wednesday July 4 94 ( 97 in 1954)

Those forecast highs, as well at the 94 that is expected Thursday July 5, are all several degrees above normal for this time of year when highs in Gainesville average in the mid-80s. But by next Friday, July 6, AccuWeather says the highs across North Georgia should be well below average, in the 70s with thunderstorms expected Friday and Saturday, July 7.

As for the drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor says the entire state - except for southeast Georgia and portions of a couple of counties in the northwest corner - is now suffering from drought conditions of one extreme or another.

The hardest hit part of Georgia is a small band of counties extending from the Augusta area through middle Georgia to between Columbus and Bainbridge. Most of North Georgia is considered "abnormally dry," while some areas, such as one that includes Toccoa, Athens, metro Atlanta and Carrollton, are experiencing "moderate" or "severe" drought conditions.

Hall County has a little bit of everything. The Drought Monitor shows North Hall is "abnormally dry," drought conditions in the middle part of the county and some of South Hall are considered "moderate," while conditions in the rest of South Hall are classified as "severe."

http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/6/250131