Browse Drought Stories

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An arched iceberg located along the Antarctic Peninsula, taken June 17. Last month Antarctic sea ice extent reached a record low for June, at 4.68 million square miles — or about 471,000 square miles below average. (Photo by Dan Costa/National Science Foundation/Creative Commons) CAES News
Weather extremes
Halfway through 2022, Earth is on course for another top-10 finish in global temperature. After six months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the period from January through June 2022 was the planet’s sixth warmest on record, with observations that go back to 1880. Antarctica also saw its lowest June ice coverage on record.
Pam Knox visits a UGA weather station on the Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia. CAES News
Annual Weather Review
In 2021, Georgia experienced its coldest year since 2014, with an average temperature of 64.5 degrees Fahrenheit. But the temperature was still well above the long-term average of 63.4 F and ranked the 20th warmest year overall since statewide records began in 1895.
Calvin Perry, superintendent of Stripling Irrigation Research Park, examines an irrigation box in this 2014 photo. CAES News
Saving Water
For the past three decades, Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been battling over control of water resources in what has become known as the “tri-state water wars.” Judge Paul Kelly of New Mexico, a Supreme Court-appointed expert known as a “special master,” recently ruled in favor of Georgia in the ongoing Florida vs. Georgia court case.
Temperatures ranged from 3 to 7 degrees above normal across Georgia during October 2019. Despite the heat, above-average rainfall helped ease drought conditions across the state. CAES News
October Climate
October saw the easing of drought conditions across the state, but many producers reported that the months of dry conditions had already harmed their crops.
Some parts of Georgia saw temperatures as high as 8 or 9 degrees above normal during September 2019. The heat and abnormally dry weather left much the state in some stage of drought. CAES News
Hot and Dry
While it seems Georgia is finally seeing a break from the summer heat, the long hot summer, including a record-setting September, has already caused problems for many Georgia farmers.
Bermuda grass stem maggot damages the upper leaves of a forage crop. Lisa Baxter estimates about 60% yield loss in this picture. CAES News
Forage Pest Management
Drought-like conditions this summer are forcing Georgia forage farmers to delay treatments for Bermuda grass stem maggot, according to Lisa Baxter, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension forage specialist.
Corn planted at the Bellflower Farm on the UGA Tifton campus in this March 30 photo. CAES News
Planting Conditions
Georgia farmers should expect dry weather when they plant their crops this spring, but Pam Knox, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences agricultural climatologist, anticipates an active tropical storm season in the Atlantic Ocean this summer.
Rainfall in Georgia during April was highly varied. Some southern parts of the state received 2-3 inches less rain than normal, while parts of north Georgia received as many as 4 inches above normal. CAES News
Record Highs
April brought plentiful spring showers to north Georgia but little rainfall to the southern half of the state, resulting in moderate drought conditions, delayed planting, and conditions conducive to wildfires near the Okefenokee Swamp.
Ornamentals, like native azalea 'Rosy Cheeks,' perform well when planted in the fall. The key is to follow proper planting techniques. This includes digging the planting hole twice as big as the plant's rootball and breaking up the rootball before planting. CAES News
Drought & Plants
Prolonged dry weather has prompted an elevated drought response for northwest Georgia. But under all levels of drought response, new plant material can be installed under a 30-day exemption period. Once the establishment period has expired, the drought-response watering practices must be followed accordingly.
David Jespersen is the newest member of the University of Georgia Turfgrass Team. CAES News
New Turf Researcher
New Jersey native David Jespersen was selected to fill retired UGA turfgrass physiologist Bob Carrow’s position based in part on his research on the effects of heat stress on creeping bentgrass. Jespersen is adjusting to life in the South and to working on a small extended university campus.