For the first time in months, all of Georgia is drought-free, according to this week’s report from the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Though it’s been several weeks since it disappeared in Hall County and the rest of north Georgia, there had been a few “holdouts” along the Florida border.
And despite all the recent rains that have helped stomp out the drought, the level of Lake Lanier continues to drop. It was 1071.8 early Thursday, the lowest it’s been since Feb. 7, when the level stood at 1069.6
So, what are the chances of the drought returning this summer?
drought.gov, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts the state and most of country east of the Mississippi will remain drought-free. But west of “Big Muddy,” things will be entirely different. (See accompanying map.)