Georgia’s Climate

SS8G1 d.

Evaluate the impact of climate on Georgia’s development

Georgia’s Temperature

• Mild climate with cool winters and warm summers

• Subtropical feel along the coast• Hot, humid summers and mild winters• Four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer,

Fall, and Winter• Vertical climate (higher elevation in

mountains causes colder temperatures) • July is hottest month; January is coldest

Georgia’s Precipitation

• In normal year, Georgia gets 40-52 inches of rain in central and southern regions and 65-76 inches in the northern mountains

• July is wettest month; October is driest• From 1998 to 2002, Georgia experienced

a major drought (extended lack of precipitation)

Winds and Currents

• Air masses from Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean control summer’s warm months.

• Air masses from polar regions of Alaska and Canada control Georgia’s winters.

• Ocean currents, trade winds, and prevailing westerlies aided travel for early explorers and settlers to Georgia.

Storms over Georgia

• Georgia averages 21 tornadoes each year, resulting in one to three deaths

• Most tornadoes in Georgia occur from March to May

• Georgia’s most hurricane-like storm (in terms of lives lost) occurred in Savannah in 1893

• Called the “Sea Islands Hurricane,” the storm resulted in 1,000 deaths.

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Impact on Georgia

• The climate has made Georgia both a good farming area and a good tourist spot (beach, mountains, and Atlanta)

• Tourism helps the economy because people spend money

• Also makes our state a good place to live and work; businesses and families are attracted to the mild climate