Unpopular Opinion: Labor Day should not be the “unofficial end of summer” if summer weather is going to continue for another few weeks!
So far this September, as many as 10 of the past 17 days have featured temperatures at or above 90 degrees -- and many of those dates around Labor Day reached the mid to upper 90s!
The forecast for today calls for a high around 92, which would mark 11 days above the 90 degree threshold.
As a result, September 2026 is vying for third place for the hottest September on record in Atlanta.
Below are the Top 10 Hottest Septembers for the Atlanta area.
Let’s take a closer look at 1925, which is the record breaking hottest September for the city.
The hottest day(s) recorded in September occurred on Sept. 5, 7, and 8, 1925, when thermometers reached 102 degrees on each of those days.
Digging further, El Niño began in Spring 1925 and continued through fall into the winter of 1926.
Tied for second hottest September dates are Sept. 8 and 12 in 2019 (I remember that!) as well as Sept. 8, 1941.
1941 was so hot, the 90s stretched into their latest on record for Atlanta — October 9, 1941.
Tell Me More About This El Niño
In June this year, NOAA officially declared El Niño had formed in the Pacific Ocean, and NOAA continues to forecast a strong El Niño through the Fall 2025 months and into Winter 2026.
The animation below illustrates the El Niño, which is defined as warmer than average ocean waters off the coast of South America near the equator.
It is known that El Niño diminishes hurricane and tropical storm formation in the Atlantic Ocean, but ongoing research shows that El Niño may also cause warmer than average conditions during the late Summer and early Fall months, especially in the South.
During the Fall, expect warmer and drier conditions through November.
However, in the winter and early spring, El Niño tends to develop a sub-Tropical Jet that brings additional storm systems further south along the Gulf Coast and into the Southern United States.
As a result, expect wetter conditions and potentially strong to severe storm systems to roll through the Southeast -- including North Georgia -- later this winter and into early spring.
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