Atlanta has been cooler than cities in the north several times over the past few weeks (Roswell: how much, live)

[dozener]

For example today it was another mild day. Atlanta’s summer weather is underrated. Definitely milder than DC despite being a 10 hour drive south

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by dozener

For example today it was another mild day. Atlanta’s summer weather is underrated. Definitely milder than DC despite being a 10 hour drive south

This summer on average has been much cooler than normal, it isn’t just Atlanta either, a lot of the southern major cities have been abnormally cool this summer. I believe some of it is due to less Co2 output but the weather in general has been having some disturbing changes as of late.

[ziozio]

Per the reporting at Hartsfield-Jackson, June was 0.5 degrees below normal, July was 1.9 degrees above normal, and August has been 2.0 degrees above normal so far. We’ve had 40 days that have reached 90 and above. On average, we only have 44 days that are 90 and above for an entire year. Since summer doesn’t seem to end until mid October now, I’m sure we’ll surpass that. This is all found on weather.gov. Like most of the summers the last ten years, this summer has been above normal. I can remember some summers in my youth where we only had a handful of 90 degree days. Summers are longer and hotter and the winters are shorter and warmer now.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by ziozio

Per the reporting at Hartsfield-Jackson, June was 0.5 degrees below normal, July was 1.9 degrees above normal, and August has been 2.0 degrees above normal so far. We’ve had 40 days that have reached 90 and above. On average, we only have 44 days that are 90 and above for an entire year. Since summer doesn’t seem to end until mid October now, I’m sure we’ll surpass that. This is all found on weather.gov. Like most of the summers the last ten years, this summer has been above normal. I can remember some summers in my youth where we only had a handful of 90 degree days. Summers are longer and hotter and the winters are shorter and warmer now.

Since 1900, Atlanta has averaged 40 days per year with temperatures in the 90s or hotter. Here's the number of days with temperatures in the 90s by decade (divide by 10 for the average per year in each decade):


1900s: 256
1910s: 268
1920s: 304
1930s: 538
1940s: 530
1950s: 505
1960s: 218
1970s: 253
1980s: 504
1990s: 471
2000s: 344
2010s: 610

Total: 4,801
Average: 40.0


The 2010s might be be a fluke on the high end, just as the 1960s were a fluke on the low end. It's also worth noting that the location where the National Weather Service makes its official observations in Atlanta hasn't changed in more than 70 years, but the urban heat island is much larger than it was 70 years ago, which more than likely skews the results higher in recent decades. The 2020s will tell us if the 2010s were a fluke or not.

[citidata18]

Tenperature-wise, perhaps.

But what about the humidity?

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by citidata18

Tenperature-wise, perhaps.

But what about the humidity?

I've noticed multiple dates this summer when we were cooler than DC, with lower humidity. If you've even been there in the summer, it's pretty obvious that their humidty can be much more suffocating than ours. I guess this is directly related to the big difference in elevation.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by JMatl

I've noticed multiple dates this summer when we were cooler than DC, with lower humidity. If you've even been there in the summer, it's pretty obvious that their humidty can be much more suffocating than ours. I guess this is directly related to the big difference in elevation.

I'm sure there were/are occasional days like that, but I'd be more curious to see the average humidity between both cities. I bet DC has had a lot more instances than Atlanta where the dewpoints weren't in the 70s or even upper 60s.

Now the lower temps I can believe for a couple reasons. For one, Atlanta's higher in elevation (which tempers the efficiently of diurnal heating). But also, because of how much thicker and stagnant the moisture is in Atlanta, convective temps are quickly reached by the late morning/early afternoon hours which cuts off heating due to extensive thunderstorm or cumulonimbus cloud development.

[Citykid3785]

While Atlanta gets hot in the summer, so does a good portion of the US.

I previously lived in the Twin Cities, and while their humidity is lower, they still get hot in the summer. While I don't know that "Hotlanta" is a misnomer, we often are perceived to be hotter by outsiders than we are (due to ignorance on elevation perhaps).

The Roswell area where I live has an average high of 88 in the peak of summer. Well, really from DC to Kansas City all reach 90 for an average high in their hottest month. That's 500 miles north of Atlanta!

[Bamaman1]

I lived 10 years in Atlanta, and there are 3 distinct weather patterns on this city so huge in square mileage.

SW Atlanta would get Florida Panhandle Weather.

Western Atlanta would get weather from the west.

Northeast Atlanta would get their weather from the Western NC mountains.

Forecasting the weather in the city would really require numerous forecasts--due to the different parts of town having different patterns.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by Bamaman1

I lived 10 years in Atlanta, and there are 3 distinct weather patterns on this city so huge in square mileage.

SW Atlanta would get Florida Panhandle Weather.

Western Atlanta would get weather from the west.

Northeast Atlanta would get their weather from the Western NC mountains.

Forecasting the weather in the city would really require numerous forecasts--due to the different parts of town having different patterns.

You do have a point.

There are a number of days where in Newnan, it will be clear skies with temps surging into the 90s, while out in Buford or Lawrenceville they're socked in low clouds and temps stuck in the 70s (Cold Air Damning).