This fall was drier and warmer than usual in Gainesville and most of north Georgia, according to the Autumn 2023 Weather Summary from the National Weather Service (NWS).
The statistics reveal that, based on readings at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport, the average temperature in Gainesville September-November was 1.1 degrees above normal. The warmest day was Sept. 9 when the high reached 90. The coolest was Nov. 30 with the low was 27.
Rainfall was 8.15 inches below normal for the three months. The wettest day was Sept. 19 when 1.44 inches were recorded.
Click here for more details: Autumn 2023 Climate Summary (weather.gov)
As for the outlook for the winter months, December-February, the NWS says there should be improvements in our drought situation due an increase in rainfall. The latest report from the U.S Drought Monitor shows 64 percent of Georgia, including all of northeast Georgia, is now suffering from some degree of drought. Drought intensity growth, expansion slows 97.5 Glory FM | North Georgia’s Family Radio Station (wgtjradio.com) And, though those conditions are likely to improve, elsewhere “drought is likely to develop or intensify” across the northern Rockies, northern Great Plains, portions of the desert Southwest, and the interior Pacific Northwest.
And, what about temperatures?
- Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored across the northern tier of the U.S. and much of the Far West
- The greatest odds for warmer-than-average conditions are in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and northern New England.
- Near-normal seasonal mean temperatures are most likely for a region from the south-central Rockies to the southern Plains.
- Remaining areas (including the Southeast) fall into the category of equal chances for below-, near-, or above-average seasonal mean temperatures.