May 2023 was cooler than average in Metro Atlanta, and the first half of June 2023 was cooler than average as well.
In fact, taking a look at the average daily highs and lows for the month of May, the average temperature for the month was 0.9 degrees below average.
June 2023 was similar, and even with a heat wave building for the final week of the month, the average temperature for the entire month registered 1.3 degrees below average.
Why so cool in the spring, and so hot this month?
May and June featured a series of cutoff lows and “wedges” that kept morning lows 10 degrees below average. By late June, the cutoff lows stayed north, and a series of ridges developed nearby that encouraged hotter than average temperatures.
By July 1, we climbed to the mid 90s, and as many as 16 days this month featured temperatures above 90 degrees. While a cold front will provide some relief this weekend, it will be short lived -- afternoon temperatures will return to the low to mid 90s again next week.