Drought conditions are predicted to continue in the Southeast from Alabama to the Carolinas. Also, there is the potential for drought to develop along the eastern Gulf of Mexico and in Florida and over the western Plains from northern Texas into southwestern Nebraska.

"In spite of a number of winter storms that affected the nation during the first two weeks of December, much more rainfall is needed to bring wells, lakes, and reservoir levels back to normal in many areas of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and parts of Florida," said Douglas LeComte, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center drought specialist.

"Over the last year or two, the precipitation deficits in these areas have been measured in feet rather than inches," he said.

The prediction accords with what southern Florida is experiencing. For the first time in the agency's history, the South Florida Water Management District December 13 declared an extreme district-wide water shortage, directly affecting more than five million South Florida residents and thousands of farms and businesses.

Drought sign placed by the South Florida Water Management District

The district's nine member Governing Board adopted an unprecedented water shortage order, imposing a one-day-a-week watering schedule for residential landscape irrigation to conserve regional water supplies.

Landscape irrigation accounts for up to half of all household water consumption in Florida and totals more than seven billion gallons per day nationwide.

"Today's order represents the most stringent landscape irrigation measures that this agency has ever had to impose, but we believe it will significantly help to protect and stretch our regional water supplies," said Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann. "We appreciate the public's understanding and compliance with these necessary restrictions that will result in measurable water savings."

In drought-stricken Georgia, Governor Sonny Perdue has asked all residents to cut their water usage by 10 percent.

State officials warn that Lake Lanier, a 38,000-acre north Georgia reservoir that supplies Atlanta residents with water, could be depleted by mid-January.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Rob Hunter say they will comply with the governor's request and announced a set of new initiatives intended to cut water use throughout the city.

The city is offering a $1 million ultra-low-flow toilet rebate program in conjunction with the Atlanta Regional Commission and Home Depot.

There will be large customer conservation workshops in cooperation with the Georgia Environmental Protection Divisions aimed at the city's 50 largest water users. In addition, the city will help fund water conservation audits for large users.

Meteorologists continue to forecast below average precipitation for the southern tier of the nation and above average precipitation over the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes and Tennessee Valley for January through March.

Drought conditions should improve in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, as well as over the Pacific Northwest.

Intermittent beneficial rain and snow is expected over the next couple of weeks for California and Arizona, but improvement might be short lived since below average precipitation is expected for the rest of the season.

Overall, the country is likely to see warmer than average temperatures over the next three months. "However, there will be fluctuations of warm weather and more typical winter weather throughout the season," said Mike Halpert, deputy director NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

Meteorological winter runs from the first of December through the end of February. The winter solstice begins on December 22. NOAA will announce the U.S. Spring Outlook in March 2008.

www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2007/2007-12-20-094.asp