Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, sits inland in the southeastern United States, on the rolling Piedmont foothills of the Appalachians at around 300 metres above sea level, at approximately 33.75°N, 84.39°W. It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with hot, humid summers and mild winters, its modest elevation taking a little of the edge off the southern heat and giving it four distinct seasons.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and humid, with July the warmest month — average highs around 31–32°C — though the elevation keeps it slightly cooler than the Gulf Coast cities. Muggy, sultry days are the norm, relieved by frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms that build in the humid heat. The warmth lingers into the night, and the season is long, stretching from late spring into early autumn.

Winter, from December to February, is mild, with January the coolest month — average highs around 12–13°C and lows near 2°C. Most days stay well above freezing, but cold outbreaks from the north can bring frost and the occasional bout of ice or light snow, usually just a few centimetres that quickly melt — though rare ice storms can snarl the city. Genuine cold is brief and uncommon.

Atlanta is quite wet, receiving around 1,270–1,300 mm of rain a year, remarkably well distributed with no true dry or wet season — most months see meaningful rain, with a modest late-winter and midsummer emphasis. Summer rain comes as thunderstorms, winter as frontal systems. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Atlanta's Piedmont elevation gives it slightly milder summers and cooler winter nights than the low Gulf and coastal South, along with the vivid autumn foliage of the southern Appalachians. Its most disruptive weather is the occasional winter ice storm, when freezing rain can bring the sprawling metropolis to a standstill, and it lies far enough inland that tropical systems arrive only as weakened, rain-bearing remnants.

To follow any single measurement in Atlanta more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.