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Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Central Georgia has seen its fair share of rain since earlier this fall. Hurricane Michael and El Nino have played a big role

Ever since Hurricane Michael moved through Central Georgia, we have experienced above average precipitation. After digging through some data and crunching numbers, it turns out that Macon Georgia has a rainfall surplus of nearly 8.5 inches. 

Credit: wmaz

So, why are we seeing so much rain?

The wet period of weather kicked off with Hurricane Michael. Michael produced anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of rain over Central Georgia.  

Credit: wmaz

Then, El Nino took over. El  Nino is a weather phenomena that describes the warming of waters in part of the Pacific Ocean. This warming has certain effects in different parts of the world. Here in Central Georgia, we typically see above average precipitation and below average temperatures. El Nino makes the subtropical jet stream more active. This allows it to both rain more frequently and heavier. 

Credit: NOAA

When all of the above is added up, the result is the wet weather we've had in Central Georgia since this fall. Because we are in the heart of winter, it is cool out, and much of the vegetation, including trees, are dormant. There isn't a good way to soak up this water and return it to the atmosphere. As long as we continue to see this weather pattern persist, the threat for flooding of local rivers, creeks, and streams will continue. 

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