The rain isn’t coming. And for Georgians watching their lawns brown and their water bills climb, the forecast through winter offers little relief.
🌡️ Why It Matters: Drought conditions that took hold across western and southern Georgia in September could spread across more of the state over the next three months, threatening water supplies, agriculture and fire risk heading into what’s typically the driest season.
☀️ What’s Happening: The National Weather Service in Atlanta released a three-month drought outlook showing possible expansion of dry conditions statewide. Parts of the Atlanta metro are already affected.
October ranks as one of Georgia’s driest months in a typical year. That natural dryness, combined with the possible development of La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, creates favorable conditions for drought to spread.
🌊 The Climate Factor: La Niña weather patterns tend to push the jet stream northward, steering moisture away from the Southeast. When that happens during an already dry season, drought can deepen quickly.
The outlook map shows drought persisting in areas already affected, with some improvement possible in scattered locations. But the larger story is expansion. Areas currently free of drought could see conditions develop as fall turns to winter.
The Source: National Weather Service Atlanta.
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.
