ATHENS, Ga. — Central Georgia is now in
extreme drought conditions,
according to the Palmer
Drought Severity Index. The rest of the state remains in
severe drought except the
west central region, which is in moderate drought, and the
northwest corner, which is in
mild drought.

For the PDSI, the Central Georgia Region includes Baldwin,
Bibb, Bleckley, Butts,
Crawford, Dodge, Greene, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Johnson,
Jones, Laurens, Monroe,
Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale,
Taliaferro, Twiggs,
Treutlen, Washington, Wheeler and Wilkinson counties.

Soil moisture continued to get drier last week. The Georgia Agricultural
Statistics Service reported
soil moisture as short to very short in 78 percent of the state.
Only 21 percent of the
soils had enough moisture. Crop and pasture conditions continued
to decline.

The Crop
Moisture Index also shows drying topsoil across most of the
state. Central, southwest
and south central Georgia are excessively dry, reducing
prospective yields.

The east central and southeast regions of the state are
abnormally dry, and yield
prospects are deteriorating. North central and northeast Georgia
report short topsoil
moisture.

Northwest and west central Georgia have adequate topsoil
moisture now. However, dry
areas remain in these regions. The PDSI and the CMI are
calculated by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction
Center.

Little relief is in store for Georgia this week. Most of the
state needs 9 to 12 inches
of rain to end the drought. Northwest Georgia needs about 4
inches.

Georgia is now in the typical summertime weather pattern. The
state depends on
scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms for most of its
rain. It is rare that a
drought will be broken by scattered thunderstorms. It may take a
tropical storm to break
the current drought.

Current weather information on 38 Georgia locations is at the
University of Georgia Automated
Environmental Monitoring Network
Web site. Find current drought information at the UGA Drought
’99 Web site. Or talk to
your county Extension Service agent about the drought’s effects
on crops, landscaping,
gardens or livestock.