Climate

Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and warm, but occasionally chilly winters by the standards of the United States. July highs average 88 °F (31 °C) or above, and lows average 67 °F (19 °C). Infrequently, temperatures can even exceed 100 °F (38 °C). The highest temperature recorded in the city is 105 °F (41 °C), reached in July, 1980. January is the coldest month, with an average high of 56 °F (13 °C), and low of 39 °F (4 °C). Atlanta's average low of 39, recorded at the airport, is affected by the urban heat island. Generally average lows are in the upper 20s and lower 30s in the north Georgia region. Warm fronts can bring spring like temperatures in the 60s and 70s in winter, and Arctic air masses can drop temperatures into the single digits as well. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −9 °F (−23 °C) in February 1899. A close second was −8 °F (−22 °C), reached in January 1985. Atlanta's elevation keeps a more temperate climate then other southern cities of the same latitude due to its elevation being 1,050 feet (320 m) above sea level.

Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 50.2 inches (1,275 mm). An average year sees frost on 36 days; snowfall averages about 2 inches (5 cm) annually. The heaviest single storm brought 10 inches (25 cm) on January 23, 1940. Frequent ice storms can cause more problems than snow; the most severe such storm may have occurred on January 7, 1973.