The state’s climatologist says the way average rainfall is calculated in north Georgia may have to change because of persistent drought in the region. 50 inches of rainfall in the metro Atlanta area has long been considered normal. But University of Georgia professor David Stooksbury says for eight of the last 11 years, the region has felt less than 50 inches annually. Stooksbury says for many a reference point is the period of time from the end of World War II to the late 1970’s. He says that period was an abnormal period in climate--abnormally wet.
