JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s a tale of two stories here across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia! The lack of rainfall, or in some spots the surplus of rainfall, is noticeable.
The latest drought report verifies this, with part of our area in a “severe” drought. Let’s break down who has or has not seen rain and what to future holds.
Looking at our rainfall for the year, areas away from our coast have a noticeable deficit. In fact, some spots have a deficit of over 15 inches!
Along the coast, it’s a different story. Several nor’easters over the past few months brought an abundance of rainfall to the area due to an onshore wind.
Lake City, along with Palatk,a have a deficit of around 10-15 inches, with other outlying areas in Clay and Putnam Counties reporting an even larger deficit.
Looking ahead to the future, we are forecast to be in a weak La Niña. La Niña typically brings drier weather to the Southeast, which is reflected in the precipitation outlook forecast over the next three months.
The drought for many locations will likely expand due to the lack of widespread rainfall.
Keep in mind that open burning of yard debris is prohibited year-round in Duval County. The exception is for a barbecue grill using propane gas, charcoal or clean dry wood.