Does It Snow in Atlanta? See When and How Much

Atlanta is known for its vibrant nightlife, its Southern hospitality, and an amazing city that is growing substantially. But when one thinks of Atlanta, they don’t think of cold weather. They think of amazing, summer nights. Of course, the real question is, does it snow in Atlanta? The simple answer is no. However, things aren’t so simple when it comes to weather. Atlanta and the winter, particularly January, is extremely cold, but snowfall is rare. It has happened, but Atlanta has not seen snow in various years. If it does snow in the future, January is your best bet of seeing snow. 

Let’s take a look at where most of the snow in Atlanta takes place, the average amounts, temperatures, and more.

Average Snow in Atlanta

Snow is rare in Atlanta. If it does snow, it will probably snow in January, because that is the coldest month of the year. The months that Atlanta has seen snow are November, December, January, February, and March. From those five months, January has seen one inch of snow on average. The rest of the months have seen less than half an inch of snow on average. The reality is that, unless an anomaly occurs, Atlanta will not see snow. When it comes to records, Atlanta did see snow on January 23, 1940, with a whopping 8.3 inches in a rare snowstorm. Below is a table showing the snowy days in Atlanta throughout the year.

Snowiest Places in Atlanta

As stated above, Atlanta rarely sees snow. Between December and February, however, you can see snow outside of Atlanta. If you go to the Blue Ridge Mountains or maybe Morganton or Ellijay in North Georgia, you can have a definite winter wonderland. Those places are already used to hosting people who want to ski or snowboard, so doing some fun snow activities in those places will be a great experience.

Wildlife in Atlanta

Atlanta is a big city. Usually, in big cities, wildlife isn’t prone to roaming around. However, Atlanta has an abundance of trees and several city parks. In fact, nearly 50% of the city is covered in trees and the National Forest Service has named Atlanta as “the most heavily forested urban area in the country.” It’s also a big city area-wise so the suburbs and other wild areas are prone to having more wildlife.

Atlanta does have an abundance of wildlife, which includes foxes, mice, pigeon bats, geese, and even raccoons. There are a variety of trees in Atlanta, and those include sugar maples, oaks, red maples, southern magnolias, and eastern redbuds.

Best Places to See Snow in Atlanta

Because snow is rare in Atlanta, the best places to see snow are usually north. If you are lucky and you end up getting snow in Atlanta while you’re there, you should always go to those tourist places to get some cool pictures that not many people will have.

Besides seeing snow in the city, going up to the Blue Ridge Mountains can give you what you want: a winter wonderland. There are so many things that you can do in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a lot of Georgians also go up north to enjoy fun snow activities. Of course, if the snow gets too bad in the mountains, you can always play some board games or curl up with a good book. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Atlanta’s winter like?

Winters in Atlanta are quite cold.  Because of climate change, however, they are getting warmer. The year 2023 saw one of the warmest winters in history for Atlanta. But, to make sure that everything is smooth sailing, it’s best to pack warm layers if you are going to Atlanta during winter. You can always book indoor activities to ensure that you are not cold outside. The coldest months of the year are January and December.

How cold does Atlanta get in winter?

The average temperatures in Atlanta are between a high of 58.2 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month of the year is January which has an average temperature of 44.8 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by December, which averages around 47.3 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the month.

Conclusion

And there you have it, it rarely snows in Atlanta. Anomalies do exist and there has been snowfall in Atlanta over the years. Usually, that happens in January, but sometimes it has happened in other winter months. The average snowfall per winter season is truly about 2.2 inches. So, if you are yearning for a winter wonderland, your best bet is to head north to the mountainous areas in the state of Georgia. It is there that you can have some fun snow activities and enjoy snowy days with the family.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Jordan Acuff-Patton/iStock via Getty Images