CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/10/19

September was unseasonably hot, dry, UGA climatologist says

By Pam Knox

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.

With almost no rain during September, drought conditions expanded across the state.

Record-setting temperatures and almost no rain during September caused a major expansion of drought across Georgia. The dry conditions caused problems for farmers trying to grow forage and harvest peanuts in heavier soils but the harvest was ahead of schedule due to the lack of rain.

At the beginning of the month, only 7 % of the state's area was in moderate drought and 27 % was abnormally dry or in drought. By the end of the month, the entire state was at least abnormally dry, and extreme drought covered over 4 % of the state, mostly in areas north and south of the Atlanta metro area.

The dry conditions in September caused a lot of problems for farmers. Forage stopped growing and feeding hay to livestock was widespread. Filling of soybean pods was reduced with a negative impact on yields, and it was too dry to defoliate some cotton and harvest some dryland peanuts. However, in areas where harvest was possible, dry and clear weather allowed harvests to proceed ahead of schedule for both cotton and peanuts.

While October saw a break from record high heat across the state, climatologists project that temperatures will continue to be warmer than normal throughout fall. The state should see less rainfall than normal during October but may return to normal patterns later this fall.

A return to normal would be welcome after such a dry summer and September when the majority of the state receiving less than a quarter of their normal monthly rainfall.

The highest monthly total precipitation recorded by the National Weather Service reporting stations was 2.76 inches in Brunswick, 3 inches below normal. The lowest temperatures were in Macon and Valdosta, with 0.02 inches each, 3.57 inches below normal for Macon and 4.62 inches below normal for Valdosta.

  • Albany received 1.27 inches; 2.17 inches below normal
  • Alma received .2 inches; 3.44 inches below normal
  • Atlanta received .76 inches; 3.71 inches below normal
  • Athens received 1.4 inches; 2.54 inches below normal
  • Augusta received .77 inches; 2.45 inches below normal
  • Columbus received 1.29 inches; 1.77 inches below normal
  • Rome received 0.31 inches; 3.10 inches below normal
  • Savannah received 1.27 inches; 3.31 inches below normal

Not surprisingly, no daily precipitation records were set during the month.

The highest 24-hour rainfall total from Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network observers in September was 4.50 inches observed east of Newnan in Coweta County on Sept. 29, followed by 4.45 inches measured south of Savannah in Chatham County on Sept. 18 from Humberto. The highest monthly amount was 6.51 inches measured by the observer south of Savannah in Chatham County, followed by 6.32 inches measured near Darien in McIntosh County.

While rainfall was far below normal, temperatures were above normal across the state.

  • In Albany, the monthly average temperature was 82.9 F, 5.2 degrees above normal.
  • In Alma, the monthly average temperature was 79.7 F, 2.6 degrees above normal.
  • In Athens, the monthly average temperature was 79.3 degrees F, 6.0 degrees above normal.
  • In Atlanta, the monthly average temperature was 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit, 8.9 degrees above normal.
  • In Augusta, the monthly average temperature was 80.2 F, 5.6 degrees above normal.
  • In Brunswick, the monthly average temperature was 82.5 F, 4.4 degrees above normal.
  • In Columbus, the monthly average temperature was 83.3 F, 6.7 degrees above normal.
  • In Macon, the monthly average temperature was 81.1 F, 6.1 degrees above normal.
  • In Rome, the monthly average temperature was 80.0 F, 6 degrees above normal.
  • In Savannah, the monthly average temperature was 81.4 F, 4.4 degrees above normal.
  • In Valdosta, the monthly average temperature was 81.5 F, 4.1 degrees above normal.

Numerous high-temperature records were broken during the month, especially in the last week.

Some of the daily records include: 99 F in Atlanta on Sept. 12 (breaking the old record of 94 F set in 1900), 97 F in Athens on Sept. 27 (breaking the old record of 94 F set in 1954 - another drought year), 100 F in Columbus on Sept. 26 (passing the old record of 99 F set in 1921), 103 F set in Macon on Sept. 17 (breaking the old record of 98 F set in 2018), and 101 F set in Augusta on Sept. 30 (surpassing the old record of 96 F set in 1904).

Many other high-temperature records were broken or tied this month, including Brunswick which reported a new high nighttime low temperature of 79 F on Sept. 27 (breaking the old record of 76 F set in 1998).

For more information, see the “Climate and Agriculture” blog at https://site.extension.uga.edu/climate/ or follow SEAgClimate on Facebook and @SE_AgClimate on Twitter. Email your weather and climate impacts on agriculture to be shared on the blog to pknox@uga.edu.

Pam Knox is the director of the UGA Weather Network and serves as an agricultural climatologist with the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.

Authors:
Pam Knox
Experts/Sources:
Pam Knox
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.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
A groundbreaking ceremony for a green stormwater demonstration site was held on Nov. 22 at the UGA Research and Education Garden at UGA-Griffin. This site will allow visitors to get a firsthand look at the green infrastructure technology that can be used both in the green industry and in private homes. Pictured are (l-r): Rolando Orellana, urban water management state agent in the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture; Jeffrey Dean, Assistant Provost and Campus Director for UGA Griffin; Bethany Harris, Director of the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture, Joy Hinkle, Grants Unit Manager for Georgia EPD, and Martin Wunderly, UGA Northeast District Extension Area Water Agent. CAES News
UGA-Griffin breaks ground on green stormwater demonstration site 12/11/24 Ashley N Biles
Industry professionals, researchers and the public will soon have access to the latest in sustainable infrastructure technology with the construction of a green stormwater demonstration site at the University of Georgia Research and Education Garden on the UGA Griffin campus. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 22 with plans to complete several demonstration areas by the end of 2024.
At the 2024 Georgia Life Sciences Summit held Oct. 21-22 in Atlanta, Professor Quingguo “Jack” Huang of the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences received the Golden Helix Innovation Award for his research in technologies to mitigate “forever chemicals” in water resources. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker) CAES News
Nothing lasts forever: CAES professor finds solutions to break down ‘forever chemicals’ 12/05/24 Carson McAfee
University of Georgia Professor Qingguo “Jack” Huang always wanted to do one thing: solve problems. Growing up in a small city in central China, Huang’s favorite subject in elementary school was math, granting him the opportunity to work on many problems. In high school, his passion transitioned to science, where he learned he could feed those same interests in a way that benefited others. He was finishing high school in the 1980s when Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring made its way to Chinese newspapers, capturing Huang’s attention.
Georgia Simmons at the office of U.S. Sen. Warnock CAES News
Georgia 4-H alum, CAES student spends semester serving at the nation's Capitol 12/03/24 Josie Smith, Cooper Hardy
Third-year University of Georgia student and Banks County 4-H alum Georgia Simmons has been in the center of the political action this fall with the Georgia 4-H Washington DC Intern Program. Simmons, an environmental resource science major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, works in the office of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. As an intern on his staff, she interacts directly with policy experts and lawmakers, participating in the legislative process while earning a semester of credit hours.
Longtime faculty member George Vellidis was named the first permanent director of the Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture. IIPA was launched in 2022 and has grown to include more than 70 faculty members. (Photo by Paul Privette for UGA CAES) CAES News
Vellidis named director of Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture 12/02/24 David Mitchell
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Professor George Vellidis has been named director of the Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture (IIPA). His term began on Nov. 1, and he will serve as the unit’s first permanent director. “Dr. Vellidis has been a vital member of our UGA faculty for years and played a key role in launching IIPA,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “Whether it’s his impact as a first-class researcher and educator or the work he does behind the scenes to elevate our reputation in the field abroad, his presence has made UGA a hub for precision agriculture research.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire S. Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.