The Atlanta area has endured a soggy start to 2024, and a new federal forecast shows most Georgians will want to keep their umbrellas handy when the calendar turns to spring.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest projections released Thursday favor wetter than normal conditions from March through May for most of Georgia, especially in the southern part of the state.
Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Monday in Atlanta: Mild temps with lots of sunshine this afternoon
NOAA’s temperature outlook for the next three months in Georgia is less clear. Most of the state has equal chances for above, below or near normal temperatures, but the odds lean slightly toward warmer than average conditions in northeast Georgia.
The agency said the main drivers of the forecast are climate change and the current El Niño.
Global temperatures are rising, mainly due to human activity and the burning of fossil fuels, loading the dice in favor of hotter than normal conditions everywhere on Earth. But in Georgia, El Niño — a phenomenon caused by heat in the tropical Pacific Ocean — typically brings cool, wet weather to the Southern U.S.