Georgia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah
This month in numbers
Georgia experienced its 7th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 19.5°C, which is 2.3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Even more strikingly, April 2026 recorded the highest maximum temperature on record at 27.33°C, an anomaly of +2.8°C. The period from February to April 2026 was the 4th warmest on record for average temperature, at 15.65°C, and the 2nd warmest for maximum temperature, at 23.09°C. This warmth was accompanied by exceptionally dry conditions, with April precipitation ranking 73rd driest and the February-April period ranking as the 76th driest on record, with only 56.81 mm of rain, a deficit of 58.8 mm.
What changed
Georgia's recent warmth and dryness stand in stark contrast to typical conditions, with the state experiencing one of its worst droughts in nearly 20 years. As of May 12, 2026, approximately 99% of Georgia is under drought conditions, with 48% in extreme drought and 30.2% in exceptional drought. This widespread drought has led to a significant increase in wildfire activity, with three wildfire events recorded in Georgia over the past month, representing 100% of the annual total. The Southeast climate region as a whole has been unusually warm and dry, with parts of Georgia receiving less than 5% of normal precipitation in April.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warm and dry conditions in Georgia are largely driven by a combination of factors, including the effect, which contributes to overall regional warming. The extreme drought conditions have been exacerbated by , where the lack of moisture in the soil further intensifies heating. Additionally, the region has seen an unusual concentration of wildfires, with three active events in the past month. This is an unusually high concentration for the region and season, with the National Interagency Fire Center projecting above-normal wildfire risk for Georgia through at least May 2026. Recent heavy, localised rainfall in mid-May caused flash flooding in urban areas of Atlanta, but this was insufficient to alleviate the widespread drought, with officials stating that much more rain is needed to break the dry spell. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but an El Niño phase is strongly forecast to emerge in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May-July and a 96% chance for July-September. This typically brings cooler and wetter conditions to the Southeast USA during winter, but its impact on the current drought remains to be seen. ENSO tracker
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a high probability of an El Niño phase developing in the coming months, which typically brings cooler and wetter conditions to the Southeast USA during winter, potentially offering some relief from the ongoing drought.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
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.