Early Fall Forecast: When Georgia Can Expect a Break from the Heat

GEORGIA — Georgia residents anticipating cooler weather this fall may be in for a warmer-than-usual fall, according to a new forecast for late summer and early fall.

In a temperature outlook for August, September and October, The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2 said summer heat will continue into early fall across much of the country.

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Above-average temperatures are expected across the Great Basin and Southwest to the East Coast, particularly in parts of the Rockies, Plains and Midwest. The immediate West Coast could see slightly above- or below-normal temperatures, according to the forecast.

Here’s what the next few months will look like in Georgia:

August: Temperatures generally above normal for the month

September: Above normal to slightly above normal temperatures across south Atlanta for the month

October: Temperatures generally above normal for the month

The forecast of high temperatures that will persist into the fall comes amid growing fears that climate change is making summers hotter and longer.

Since U.S. weather records began in 1895, four of the five hottest summers have occurred this century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The summer of 2021 tied with the summer of 1936 for the title of hottest summer on record. The summers of 2022, 2012 and 2011 round out the top five hottest summers.

Heat records have been broken in many parts of the country this summer. June was the second-hottest month on record in the U.S. in 130 years, behind June 2021. July also began with a record-breaking heat wave in the West.

Summers have gotten significantly warmer in many parts of the country, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit news group whose scientists write about climate. In 230 of the 241 places the organization studied, 58 percent are experiencing at least two weeks of summer heat more than in 1970.

In the Atlanta area, there were 34 more days of above-normal summer temperatures in 2023 than in 1970.