Atlanta guide

What is the weather like in Atlanta?

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This article is part of our Moving to Atlanta guide.

Last updated October 18, 2026

Atlanta has long, hot, humid summers, short mild winters, and rain spread across the whole year. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Hartsfield-Jackson airport put the average July high at 90.1°F and the average January low at 35.6°F. The airport gets about 50.4 inches of rain in a normal year and only about 2.2 inches of snow. The weather to plan around is not the cold. It’s the heat, the spring pollen, the thunderstorms, and the few winter days when ice shuts the city down.

July avg high90.1°FNOAA 1991–2020 normal, ATL airport
January avg low35.6°FNOAA 1991–2020 normal, ATL airport
Yearly rain50.4 inNOAA 1991–2020 normal, ATL airport
Yearly snow2.2 inNOAA 1991–2020 normal, ATL airport

What is Atlanta weather like by month?

These are NOAA’s official 30-year normals (1991–2020) for the weather station at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. “Normal” means the 30-year average, so any single year can run hotter, colder, wetter or drier.

MonthAvg high (°F)Avg low (°F)Precipitation (in)
January54.035.64.59
February58.238.94.55
March65.945.34.68
April73.852.53.81
May81.161.33.56
June87.168.64.54
July90.171.84.75
August89.071.34.30
September83.965.93.82
October74.454.93.28
November64.144.23.98
December56.238.44.57
Year73.254.150.43

Two things stand out. First, no month is truly dry: every month averages between about 3.3 and 4.8 inches. Second, the coldest month still averages a high in the mid-50s. Snow is rare. The normals show about 1 inch in January and a few tenths of an inch in February, March and December.

How hot and humid are Atlanta summers?

Hot, and getting hotter in recent years. Average highs sit in the upper 80s to around 90°F from June through August, and nights stay near 70°F. The humidity is what newcomers notice most. You’ll sweat on a short walk to a MARTA station, and afternoon thunderstorms pop up often.

11Alive has reported that the airport averages about 46 days a year at 90°F or higher. Recent years have gone well past that. Based on NOAA airport records compiled by Extreme Weather Watch, Atlanta logged 72 days of 90°F or more in 2024, 58 in 2025, and 76 in 2026 as of October 13. The record is 91 days, set in 2019.

How bad is pollen season in Atlanta?

Bad enough that it gets its own news coverage every year. Spring weather itself is pleasant, with April highs in the mid-70s. But from late winter into spring, tree pollen coats cars, patios and sidewalks in yellow-green dust.

The local count comes from Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, which collects samples on a rooftop and counts the grains under a microscope. Anything above 1,500 is rated “extreme.” On March 29, 2025, the count hit 14,801, the highest ever recorded locally. The previous record was 9,368, set in March 2012 (Atlanta News First, March 29, 2025).

  • If you have allergies, see a doctor before March, not during it.
  • Keep windows closed on high-count days and run the AC instead.
  • Change your HVAC filter more often in spring. Ask your landlord who supplies filters.

Is fall the best season in Atlanta?

For most people, yes. October averages a high of 74.4°F and a low of 54.9°F, and it’s the driest month of the year at 3.28 inches. Humidity drops, pollen is lower than in spring, and patios and parks fill up. If you have a choice of move date, October is a comfortable month to haul boxes. Summer moves are possible, but plan for heat and afternoon storms.

Does it snow in Atlanta, and what about ice?

Real snow is rare, but winter storms matter because the region has little equipment for them and ice is common when they hit. A small amount of snow or freezing rain can close schools, offices and highways.

  • January 28, 2014 (“Snowmageddon”), about 2.5 inches of snow fell in the middle of a workday. Highways froze into gridlock, and many drivers left their cars or spent the night in them (11Alive).
  • January 24–25, 2026, Winter Storm Fern brought what WSB-TV called north Georgia’s first major ice storm since 2014. Freezing rain totals reached a quarter inch in Dunwoody, Tucker and Lawrenceville and half an inch in Sugar Hill (Atlanta News First). It caused widespread power outages and closures.
  • January 31, 2026, a second storm brought 1 to 3 inches of forecast snow for Fulton, DeKalb and Cobb, an extreme cold warning, and about 600 canceled flights at Hartsfield-Jackson (WABE). Much of central Atlanta ended up with little or no snow.

Freezing nights happen every winter, though the number swings a lot. NOAA airport records compiled by Extreme Weather Watch show lows below 32°F on 21 days in 2024 and 31 days in 2025. If ice is in the forecast, the simplest plan is to stay home. Keep a few days of food, water and phone batteries on hand.

Does Atlanta get tornadoes and severe storms?

Yes. Severe thunderstorms can happen in any season, and tornadoes do touch down in the metro. The best-known example is March 14, 2008, when an EF2 tornado with winds estimated at 130 mph tracked about 6 miles through downtown Atlanta, passing just north of the Georgia Dome (NWS Peachtree City). More recently, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 90–95 mph in Carroll County, west of the metro, on January 10, 2026 (Atlanta News First).

Know the difference between a watch (conditions are right) and a warning (a storm is happening now). When a tornado warning covers your area, go to the lowest floor and an interior room or hallway away from windows. In an apartment tower, that usually means an inner hallway or stairwell, not your unit.

Do hurricanes reach Atlanta?

Atlanta is far inland, so hurricanes arrive much weaker. Their leftover rain and wind can still do real damage. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10 (National Hurricane Center).

Helene in September 2024 is the recent lesson. Atlanta got 11.12 inches of rain in 48 hours, beating a record of 9.59 inches that had stood since 1886, according to the state climatologist (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 27, 2024). Peachtree Creek and Nancy Creek rose above major flood stage. Firefighters pulled people out of flooded cars and apartments. More than 1 million customers lost power statewide.

How should a newcomer prepare for Atlanta weather?

  1. Treat AC as a must. Before you sign a lease, ask how old the system is and how fast repairs happen in summer. Put the answer in writing. Our guide to renting in Atlanta covers what to ask. Budget for higher power bills from June to September in our Atlanta cost of living guide.
  2. Get renters insurance, and know what it skips. Standard renters insurance does not cover flood damage. Renters can buy a separate contents-only flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program, with coverage up to $100,000 (FloodSmart, September 2024). If your unit is near a creek or on a ground floor, ask whether the building has flooded before.
  3. Sign up for local alerts. The City of Atlanta uses NotifyATL. Fulton County uses FALCON. DeKalb County switched to DeKalbAlert in May 2026; text DEKALBALERT to 67283 to enroll (Atlanta News First, May 5, 2026). Also turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone.
  4. Check the building, not just the unit. Ask where the tornado shelter area is and whether parking floods. Our sister site, AtlantaApartmentBuildings.com, lists the year each building was built, which helps you guess how old the systems are.
  5. Stay off the roads in ice. If you drive, Atlanta’s highways are the worst place to be when ice hits. See do you need a car in Atlanta for living with less driving.

Just arriving? Our moving to Atlanta hub links every guide in this series.

Frequently asked questions about weather in Atlanta

What is the hottest month in Atlanta?

July. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals give it an average high of 90.1°F and an average low of 71.8°F at the airport. August is nearly as hot.

What is the rainiest month in Atlanta?

July is slightly the wettest at 4.75 inches, but March, January, February and December are close behind. October is the driest at 3.28 inches.

How much does it snow in Atlanta?

About 2.2 inches in a normal year at the airport, and many winters see almost none. Ice from freezing rain is often the bigger problem.

When is pollen season in Atlanta?

Tree pollen usually peaks from mid-March to mid-April. The record count of 14,801 came on March 29, 2025, according to Atlanta Allergy & Asthma.

Sources

Go Big City Team
Author: Go Big City Team

More Atlanta questions

Back to the Atlanta guide →
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