Discover the Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in Georgia (And When It Could Happen Again)

Georgia is a state in the Southern United States, a region that is no stranger to very hot weather during the summer months. The area has frequent heatwaves throughout the season, and temperatures sometimes rise into the triple digits. That presents a very interesting question: what was the hottest temperature ever recorded in Georgia? Learn about the days in the Empire State of the South when thermometers in one part of the state read higher than ever!

The Climate in Georgia

The climate in Georgia fits into the humid subtropical Köppen climate classification. That means the region typically has short, mild winters along with extensive, hot, and humid summers. Aside from being very hot, Georgia is known for being one of the wettest states in the United States. The high humidity makes the heat feel even more oppressive.

Sometimes, hurricanes and weaker tropical storms strike Georgia during the summer as well, bringing a powerful mixture of wind and rain during times of incredible heat.

The damage caused by the storms often leaves people without electricity. Older people and those with chronic illnesses sometimes die in the wake of hurricanes. When they lose power to combat the high temperatures and stifling humidity in the region, they suffer from heat illnesses. While rare, heat deaths do occur in Georgia and many other nearby states.  

Average High Temperatures in Georgia

The average high temperatures in Georgia are among the warmest of any state in the summer months. Georgia is the fourth-warmest state in June and its temperature rises in July and August.

Consider the average high temperature along with the highest temperature recorded for the summer months in Atlanta, Georgia based on the years between 2000 and 2022.

Keep in mind that Atlanta does not hold the record for the highest temperature in the state. However, the region clearly gets very hot throughout the summer, experiencing average high temperatures that rival a heatwave for the entirety of the summer.  

The summer of 1952 was one of the hottest ever recorded in the state. The area had an average high temperature of 93.3 °F in June, July, and August.  

These average high temperatures show the state’s potential for having very high temperatures. Knowing how hot it gets in summer, it’s time to see the highest temperature ever in the state.

What Was the Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in Georgia?

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Georgia was 112 °F, and it occurred on July 24, 1952 in Louisville and again on August 20, 1983 in Greenville. These two 112 °F days were incredibly hot and dangerous, posing a significant risk to people in the area.

The 1952 day was incredibly hot and made even more dangerous by the fact that air conditioning was not common in those days. Fortunately, by 1983, air conditioning was more common in homes and cars. Nevertheless, people would have suffered from the excessive heat during that time. People that worked outside, chronically ill people, and those without access to cooling would have felt the impacts of the day.

Could a Higher Temperature Happen in the State?

According to the University of Georgia, despite the variability between years, Georgia’s temperatures are rising with the rest of the planet. The warmest three years in Georgia for the January to June period occurred in 2012, 2017, and 2019. The summer of 2011 was the hottest overall summer in the state based on the mean temperature in the state through June, July, and August.

So, warmer summers are coming to the region. That’s not the only factor that influences record-setting temperatures in an area. Triple-digit days are fairly rare in Georgia, but they can happen with the right combination of factors. The elevation, geological location, and humidity in an area are three of the main factors needed to create extremely hot days.

Parts of Georgia have a low elevation and southern location that allows for days over 100 °F to happen. However, the state’s high humidity is a boon because moist air is harder to heat.

With rising overall temperatures and the right factors in play, another day in the near future could have the hottest temperature ever recorded in Georgia. At least, that’s if the trends hold.  

Was the Hottest Temperature in Georgia the Hottest in the U.S.?

No, the hottest temperature in Georgia was only 112 °F. Meanwhile, the hottest day in the United States was on July 13, 1913 at Greenland Ranch (Furnace Creek Ranch) in Death Valley, California. The temperature reached a brutal 134 °F! The two days’ temperatures are 22 °F apart. Georgia’s hottest day is not even among the 20 hottest days ever recorded in the country.

How Animals in Georgia Would Have Survived the Heat

Animals that live in Georgia are used to the warm summers in the region. However, few animals survive in extreme heat. The animals would have likely retreated to cooler areas so that they did not suffer adverse health effects.

White-tailed deer often spend very hot days near thickets where they can stay in the shade. That way, they do not overheat. Meanwhile, many of the cold-blooded creatures in the state would probably stay in burrows or other out-of-the-way places. Snakes can become overheated at temperatures much lower than 112 °F, so they certainly waited out the excessively hot day.

Even largemouth bass would have gone into underwater structures or deeper water to escape the heat. Wild animals can hide from the heat, but they would all have lowered their activity levels during the hottest part of the day.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Georgia was a brutal day, but it wasn’t the hottest in the United States. Still, such high temperatures have negative effects on people and animals alike. As summer temperatures keep rising, people will have to continually adapt. Officials must educate people on how to stay safe in hot weather while also ensuring the infrastructure required to stay safe and cool is built and improved upon year by year.