Georgia drought: After months of little to no rainfall, drought increases across state

ATLANTA - The drought index continues to worsen as the trend of below rainfall continues across north Georgia.

For the months of September and October, just over 3 inches were recorded in Atlanta. That is about 40% less than the average.

How bad is Georgia’s drought?

The area of extreme drought has grown from 1% to 5% over the last week. That is mostly in northwest Georgia and areas just above Canton.

Severe drought areas expanded from 6% to 11%. Those areas are scattered across north Georgia, including portions of northwest Georgia, the area around Blue Ridge, and Athens.

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Moderate drought also jumped 10 points to 33%. That area includes Carrollton, Dallas, Clarkston, and the core metro Atlanta area.

When will Georgia see some relief from drought?

Unfortunately, there’s not much rain in the forecast for the next seven to 10 days, despite Georgia being including in a "wetter than normal" forecast.

The FOX 5 Storm Team is tracking the possibility of some showers next Thursday as another front moves through the area. However, that likely will not net a significant amount of rainfall, according to the latest computer models.

The temperatures will be above average next week.

So, expect it to be mostly dry through to the next drought monitor report which will be released next Thursday.

What are the current lake levels in Georgia?

This is the time of year the lakes in Georgia are lowered. Traditionally, they are lowered in preparation for the spring rainy season.

Lanier is down more than 7 feet, Allatoona down more than 8 feet, and Hartwell is down nearly 7 feet. West Point actually gained a bit over the last week, now just above a 6 feet drop.

Oconee remains just under a foot above the full pool.