Atlanta has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. Tender plants can go out after about May 9; in half of years the first frost comes by September 29.
A year in Atlanta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Atlanta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Atlanta’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Atlanta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Weyerhaeuser 1n, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Atlanta’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ladysmith 3w, WI, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Atlanta
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Weyerhaeuser 1n, WI.
Living with Atlanta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Atlanta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Atlanta and its neighbors
Stubbs the hottest July afternoons (80°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Atlanta’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, WI | 3° | 79° | 34" | 52" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Baxter, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Atlanta averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Atlanta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Atlanta’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Atlanta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Atlanta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ladysmith 3w, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 1.0" | 9.2" | 10 | 28 | 0° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 1.0" | 11.7" | 7 | 28 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.7" | 6.7" | 7 | 20 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 3.0" | 5.5" | 11 | 6 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 4.1" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.7" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.9" | 4.8" | 8 | 5 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 1.3" | 12.2" | 10 | 23 | 5° – 29° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 34.1" | 52.1" | 114 | 111 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Atlanta’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Atlanta’s center.
- Snow: Ladysmith 3w, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Weyerhaeuser 1n, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Atlanta’s climate
What is the weather like in Atlanta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 118 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Atlanta in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Atlanta get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Ladysmith 3w, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 111 days a year.
How hot does it get in Atlanta?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Weyerhaeuser 1n, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Atlanta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 140 frost-free days, at Weyerhaeuser 1n, WI.
What growing zone is Atlanta in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Atlanta?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Atlanta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Atlanta.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.