Yearly rainfall running about a foot above normal

GAINESVILLE - It may come as no surprise to learn that yearly rainfall to date in many parts of north Georgia is above normal so far this year. But, in some places, that surplus amounts to nearly a foot.

At Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville, for instance, rainfall through the end of June totaled 38.42 inches, that's 11.11 inches above normal.

The monthly breakdown this year shows 6.83 inches in January (normal is 5.17); 6.12 inches in February (normal is 5.29); 4.30 in March (5.23); 55.84 in April (3.59); 8.07 in May (3.80); and 7.26 inches in June (normal is 4.13).

At this rate, Gainesville would end the year with 76.84 inches of rain, or nearly two feet more than normal.

The above average rainfall so far this year followed a spring that was much cooler than usual. (See earlier story. Second link below.) It also brought with it well-documented flooding in parts of north Georgia, with Flowery Branch being one of the hardest hit areas.

North Georgia is not the only place in the country reporting a wetter than usual first six months of the year. From Chicago to Miami, the same scenario has played out. Parts of New England were seeing drier than normal conditions until May and June, when wet weather pushed pushed their rainfall to date this year above average.

Out west, its a different story. A lingering drought has much of the Southwest, Far West, and the Rockies in its grasp. The hardest hit areas are north Texas, much of New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, and parts of Kansas and Nebraska.

As for the rest of the year, the National Weather Service says rainfall should be above normal the rest of the summer with a return to at or below normal the rest of the year. (See first link below.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/7/263289