Athens has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Athens at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What a year in Athens feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Rain and snow in Athens
August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
No measurable snow in a normal year.
About 232 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 10.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Athens’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
232 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Mar 23 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
About 0.0" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 58% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 62 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 90°.
The nicest months are March, April, May, September, October and November. 100 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Athens averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Athens compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Georgia.
Athens weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 4.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 36° – 50° |
| February | 58° | 36° | 4.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 4.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 4.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 36° – 56° |
| Year | 73° | 51° | 50.5" | 0.0" | 117 | 0 |
Heating and cooling a home in Athens
58% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Athens’s climate
What is the coldest month in Athens?
January, with a typical high of 54° and a low of 33°.
What is the hottest month in Athens?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 62 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Athens get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Athens?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 10, and the last spring frost by March 23.
What is the rainiest month in Athens?
August, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 51 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Athens.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Athens itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at U Of Ga Plt Sci, GA (11 mi, snow) and Athens Ben Epps Airport, GA (2 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.