Metro Atlantans tuning in to Channel 2 early Wednesday were greeted with a sight rarely seen during the soggy summer of 2013: a five-day forecast with no mention of rain.
Since June 1, Atlanta has seen only three such rain-free stretches. The city’s official rain gauge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport recorded no rain June 19-23, August 2-6 and August 25-30.
In July, the longest rain-free period was three days, and there were only seven dry days the entire month.
June’s rainfall total of 9.57 inches was 5.62 inches above normal, July’s total of 8.48 inches was 3.21 inches above normal and August’s tally of 5.24 inches was 1.34 inches above normal.
Atlanta’s rainfall total for the year so far is 51.56 inches, a whopping 17.31 inches above normal and about double last year’s total through early September.
But that will all change this week as high pressure builds over the southeast.
Channel 2 meteorologist David Chandley said skies should be sunny straight through Sunday.
“That’s certainly not the pattern we’ve seen this summer,” Chandley said.
Highs this week should be in the mid- to upper 80s, with lows in the upper 60s. Normal high for early September is 85 degrees, the normal low 68.
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