Georgia records warmest summer nights ever; 2011 drought ‘likely'

By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nearly every Georgia municipality saw record-high temperatures this summer -- especially at night.

"It wasn’t that the daytime high temperatures were that unusual; it was the warm nighttime temperatures that set records," said state climatologist David Stooksbury.

Atlanta, Jasper, Gainesville, Toccoa and Athens were among the Georgia cities that experienced record warm average daily minimum temperatures this summer. Climatologists define summer as the months of June, July and August.

"These warm nights tell us little about global warming or climate change," Stooksbury said. "Global warming is seen in long-term trends."

However, he said, if the trend continues over the next several years, "then we have good evidence supporting human-induced global warming or climate change."

Air-conditioning cooling demands increased throughout the state, peaking in Atlanta, where A/C usage was 28 percent above normal.

Expect the warming trend to continue through the winter, which Stooksbury said will hotter and drier than usual, thanks to a La Nina pattern.

"Thus, there is an increased probability that Georgia could experience a drought in 2011," he said.

August-like temperatures will linger in the metro area through the weekend, with highs returning to the mid-90s on Saturday, according to Channel 2 Action News. Besides a 40 percent chance of rain Saturday evening, skies are expected to remain dry.