Georgia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah
This month in numbers
Georgia experienced its 4th warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 16.78°C, a significant 3.7°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures were particularly striking, ranking as the 2nd highest on record for March at 24.28°C, an anomaly of +4.3°C. This warmth was coupled with exceptionally dry conditions, as March precipitation was 52.58 mm, ranking 72nd driest out of 77 years, a deficit of 79 mm.
What changed
The trend of warmer and drier conditions has been persistent. The January–March 2026 period saw an average temperature of 11.78°C, ranking as the 12th warmest on record, and maximum temperatures for the same period were the 8th highest. More critically, the January–March precipitation was the 3rd lowest on record, with only 66.89 mm, a deficit of 56.6 mm. This prolonged dryness has led to a statewide Level 1 drought declaration by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in late April, the worst drought since 2007. Georgia's March 2026 average temperature anomaly of +3.7°C placed it 38th warmest globally among the 234 regions we track. The broader Southeast US climate region also experienced a significantly warmer March, with an average anomaly of +3.77°C.
What’s driving change?
The unusually warm and dry conditions in Georgia are largely influenced by an expansive subtropical ridge that has locked a warm, humid airmass over the region. This pattern, combined with a strong positive () in March, which recorded its strongest positive phase since records began in 1950, has contributed to a fast, zonal jet stream across the contiguous United States. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, there is a strong forecast for a transition to El Niño conditions in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. ENSO tracker. Georgia has also experienced an unusual concentration of extreme weather events recently, with two drought events and one flood event logged over the past 12 months, each representing 100% of their respective annual totals. Extreme Weather tracker. Furthermore, March saw multiple tornado outbreaks, with 9 tornadoes confirmed on March 12th and an additional 4 EF-0 tornadoes on March 16th.
Looking ahead
The forecast suggests a likely transition to El Niño conditions in the coming months, which typically brings above-normal precipitation and below-normal temperatures to Georgia, particularly during the winter season.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Georgia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Georgia changing?
Georgia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Georgia come from?
Climate data for Georgia comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Georgia climate data cover?
The Georgia climate profile covers Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and surrounding areas. Georgia climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Georgia climate update refreshed?
The Georgia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.