Key Takeaways
- Georgia faces extended dry conditions, with some areas lacking meaningful rainfall for weeks as temperatures rise into the 90s.
- Your lawn and garden may struggle due to minimal rain chances over the next week, with only isolated showers expected.
- Cities like Atlanta and Columbus have gone over 20 days without significant rain, raising concerns about water conservation.
- Future rainfall looks limited, with only slight chances in northwest Georgia this Friday and north Georgia on Saturday.
- The dry spell significantly affects much of the Southeast, with some areas facing over 30 days without substantial rain.
Many Georgia areas haven’t seen meaningful rainfall in weeks, with some locations approaching a month of dry conditions while temperatures head into the 90s.
What It Means For You: Your lawn and garden may continue struggling as forecasts show minimal rain chances over the next week, with any precipitation limited to isolated showers rather than the soaking rainfall needed.
Last week marked the peak of hurricane season, but there has been minimal to no tropical activity this year, so the rain we usually get dumped on us by this point in the year has stayed away.
The Current Situation: Several Georgia cities are experiencing extended dry periods:
- Atlanta has gone 23 days without significant rain
- Columbus has reached 24 days without meaningful precipitation
- Macon is at 15 days without rain over 0.1″
Between The Lines: The weather pattern offers little relief ahead. Northwest Georgia might see isolated showers Friday (a 15-30% chance) and north Georgia on Saturday, but these won’t deliver the soaking rainfall the region needs.
The Big Picture: This extended dry period affects much of the Southeast with potential timeframes without significant rain ranging from 14+ days in Rome to 31+ days in Columbus, raising concerns about water conservation as temperatures remain in the low 90s.
The Sources: National Weather Service Atlanta
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
