Georgia drought report: Blame it on the rain

Zoom in: 56.5% of Georgia is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought, down from 78.7% one week ago, according to the weekly report.

• Extreme drought conditions in north, southwest and central Georgia were downgraded to severe as of this past Tuesday. No areas saw drought conditions worsen.

What they're saying: "This week's improvement reflects the gradual recovery of soil moisture, streams, ponds and pasturelands," according to the Georgia state climatologist's office.

• Most of the state has received more than 5 inches of rain over the past month, with some areas seeing double that amount.

Yes, but: The entire state is under some level of drought designation or abnormally dry, the lowest designation on the monitor's scale.

• Parts of Georgia remain roughly 8 inches below average rainfall for the year, according to Atlanta News First's Ella Dorsey.

Flashback: One year ago, Georgia was relatively well watered, with roughly 90% of the state not under a drought designation.

Zoom out: The monitor estimates that 9.3 million people are living in drought areas in Georgia.

What's next: National Weather Service meteorologists in Peachtree City are forecasting daily chances for showers and thunderstorms through the week.