Official: Heat, Drought Not Over

Two months ago, the state climatologist predicted Metro Atlanta would see a string of 100-plus degree days, even though some claimed the heat and drought were over in July. Now, Dr. David Stooksbury has everyone's ear.

Stooksbury has offered a forecast for the remainder of the summer and beyond, and unless Atlanta gets lucky, he is saying that everyone had better get used to the hot weather.

To listen to some around Atlanta, the rain and cooler temperatures in June and July meant the drought had broken.

"In June and July, some folks were fooled into thinking that we had pulled out of the drought," Stooksbury said. "But basically all we had done, had been able to get enough moisture into the topsoil so that the plants started looking good."

Stooksbury knew the worst was still ahead.

"Historically, our hottest readings are associated with drought," he said.

One key to scorching heat is soil moisture. The sun's energy does not directly heat the air. It is absorbed by the soil, where during normal years, it evaporates the moisture in the soil.

"During a drought we don't have much moisture in the soil, so that energy from the sun cannot go into evaporation," Stooksbury said. "It has to go into heating the soil, and when it goes into heating the soil, then the air above the soil is heated."

High pressure compresses the air, making it hotter. And it also prevents the formation of clouds. Nothing to block the sun -- nothing to produce rain.

"It may cool down some next week," but I won't be surprised if it stays in the mid-to-upper 90s for the next three or four weeks," Stooksbury said.

And how long will the dry spell last?

"It depends on the tropics," he said. "And of course, that is very hard to forecast this far out."

Even if it does rain soon, the experts will take their cue from David Stooksbury before declaring the drought over.

Dr. Stooksbury said it is not unusual to get hundred-degree days into September. The key for the rest of the summer is if there are any tropical storms that spread rain into Georgia.

If there is any good news, Stooksbury said he does not believe the current drought and heat wave have anything to do with global warming.