Atltanta winters......... (Atlanta, Decatur: how much, live, versus)

[Rocco Barbosa]

Greetings peeps!


I've only lived in COLD Northern states all of my life and wearing big heavy coats is a requirement. Are they needed in Atlanta?

[MattCW]

Definitely. We will usually have several days where it won't get out of the 20s each winter so don't throw away your winter stuff. If you really wanted to, you could try layering lots of lighter clothes, but I don't recommend that for normal activities.

[DaBurgh]

I get by just fine with a "rain jacket" to protect me from the cold rain, from {insert brand name here}

[gerrythesnake]

Yes. You will need it in the morning for at least 10 days each winter. This is coming from a southerner.

Relative speaking, people in Florida think they need a heavy coat if it is 45 degrees

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Rocco Barbosa

I've only lived in COLD states all of my life and wearing big heavy coats is a requirement. Are they needed in Atlanta?

I moved here from New England. You do not need what I think of as a big heavy winter coat, except maybe a handful of days a year. It does depend on how much you're outside, versus just going from the car inside a building. I typically wear a sport jacket at work or my Columbia jacket with fleece lining. You do not need a heavy jacket with a hood, etc.

On most winter days here, for about a month or two, it may be around or just below freezing in the morning. Typically by afternoon it's in the high 40's to low 50's, with some days getting into the 60's. By late Feb and early March, temps will get up in the 60's and low 70's routinely.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by gerrythesnake

Relative speaking, people in Florida think they need a heavy coat if it is 45 degrees

Using Floridians as a barometer of what to wear in winter isn't a great idea. I will never forget back in the late 90s, we took the kids to Disney while visiting family in Jan or Feb and it was in the low 50s with the high for the day predicted to be in the 70's, which for us was like a typical summer day.

We were wearing shorts with t-shirts and hoodies, and the Floridians were wearing wool hats, gloves, and some had big coats. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[alco89]

Yea, Floridians (those from Orlando and southward) and SoCal people think Atlanta winters are freezing. Then on the flip side, Northeasterners think the winters are lovely until they get surprised by a cold snap. The Midwesterners think our winters are a cakewalk, period.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Definitely. We will usually have several days where it won't get out of the 20s each winter so don't throw away your winter stuff. If you really wanted to, you could try layering lots of lighter clothes, but I don't recommend that for normal activities.

Untrue

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Untrue

Um, no, it's not, I live here.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Um, no, it's not, I live here.

I wouldn't say that there are "several" days where it doesn't get out of the 20's. That is a pretty rare occurrence here. We will see some lows in the 20's but daytime highs are almost always at least a few degrees above freezing with very few exceptions.

You need a winter coat here, but generally a lighter jacket is enough for most winter days. It isn't uncommon to have a several 60 degree days between December and February and even a handful of 70's. Evenings and early mornings are normally when something warmer may be needed.