A wet 2009 might make 2010 drought free, but nature Mother Nature makes no guarantees.
So far this year, according to the National Weather Service, rainfall has been slightly below average.
However, with the Augusta area still saturated from December's deluges, forecasters say it will take plenty of dry weather to return to drought conditions that plagued the region in 2007 and 2008.
Thurmond Lake, which fell to its lowest levels in 20 years in 2008, has had above-average inflows in recent months, said Jason Ward, the Army Corps of Engineers' Savannah River Basin water management hydrologist.
In the period from March 2009 to February, the area had a 14-inch rainfall surplus, he said, which should help keep conditions drought-free this year.
By comparison, the rainfall at the lake during the drought -- February 2008 to February 2009 -- yielded a 5-inch deficit.
During the entire drought, from March 2007 to September 2009, the rainfall deficit reached 19 inches.
"The forecast for next three months calls for near normal rainfall conditions, so while there are no guarantees or immunities from drought, the probability of drought conditions returning in the next few months is low," Ward said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast also hints that the South will escape drought this year.
According to its March 4 forecast, no areas in Georgia or South Carolina are forecast to have drought conditions at least through May 10.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
