How Much Rain Did Atlanta Get? A Practical Guide to Checking Rainfall in the City

If you live in Atlanta, commute around the metro, or have plans outdoors, it’s completely reasonable to want a clear answer to: “How much rain did Atlanta get?”

Because rain totals change day by day and neighborhood by neighborhood, there isn’t one fixed number that always applies. Instead, you need to know where and how to check the most recent rainfall amounts for your part of Atlanta.

Below is a practical, Atlanta-focused guide to understanding local rain totals and finding reliable numbers when you need them.

Why “How Much Rain Did Atlanta Get?” Has More Than One Answer

When someone in Atlanta asks this question, they might mean:

• How much rain fell today?
• How much rain fell during a specific storm?
• How much rain has Atlanta gotten so far this month or year?
• How much rain did it get at a certain location (Downtown, Hartsfield-Jackson, Buckhead, Decatur, etc.)?

Because of how thunderstorms and weather patterns work here, rainfall can be very uneven across the metro area:

• Midtown can get a heavy downpour
• While parts of Sandy Springs or College Park stay mostly dry
• Or the airport gets different amounts than your neighborhood

So to answer the question accurately, you usually need three things:

1. Timeframe – Today, yesterday, last 24 hours, a specific date, or a whole month/year
2. Location – City center, Hartsfield-Jackson, your zip code, or a specific area of Atlanta
3. Source – A reliable way to look up measured rainfall totals

Typical Rainfall in Atlanta: What’s “Normal”?

While specific storms vary, it helps to know what’s typical for Atlanta’s climate.

• Atlanta averages roughly 45–55 inches of rain per year.
• Rain is fairly evenly spread across the year, but:
  • Winter and spring often bring steady, soaking rains
  • Summer often features brief, intense thunderstorms
  • Fall can be drier, but tropical systems sometimes bring heavy rain

For a single storm, it’s not unusual in Atlanta to see:

• 0.25–0.75 inches from a light to moderate system
• 1–3 inches or more from slow-moving storms or tropical remnants
• Locally higher totals in neighborhoods under strong thunderstorms

So if your yard looks flooded and you’re wondering, “How much rain did we get?” it’s often in that 1–3 inch range from a strong storm, but the best way to know is to check actual measurements.

Where to Find Recent Rain Totals for Atlanta

You can’t get live data from this article, but you can easily check current and recent rainfall from a few trusted Atlanta-area sources.

1. National Weather Service – Atlanta Area

The National Weather Service (NWS) office that covers Atlanta is located in Peachtree City, but it provides data for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the city area.

Look for:

• “Observed precipitation” maps or tables
• Daily and 24-hour rain totals
• Monthly and yearly rainfall summaries

Commonly reported Atlanta-area locations include:

• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
• Atlanta metro observation points (often listed as “Atlanta” or by specific station ID)

These numbers give you a consistent, official reference point for “how much rain Atlanta got” on a given day or during a specific event.

2. Local Weather Apps and TV Stations

Most Atlanta-based TV weather teams and major weather apps provide:

• Storm-total rainfall maps
• Neighborhood-level estimates based on radar
• Daily rainfall summaries for Atlanta (ATL)

These are especially useful if you want to know:

• How much rain fell near your neighborhood
• How rain totals differed across Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Clayton Counties

Radar-based estimates are not as exact as a rain gauge, but they give a good, quick idea of how much rain Atlanta got during a storm.

3. Personal and Community Rain Gauges

If you want a hyper-local answer—for example, “How much rain did my backyard in East Atlanta get?”—you may:

• Install a simple rain gauge at home
• Check neighborhood-weather networks (some weather apps show local personal stations)

Personal gauges give you:

• Exact rainfall at your location
• A way to compare your spot with official Atlanta totals

This matters in Atlanta because one side of I-285 can get hammered with rain while another area only sees light showers.

Understanding Rain Totals Across Atlanta Neighborhoods

Atlanta’s terrain and weather patterns often cause uneven rainfall across the metro.

Common patterns locals notice:

• Pop-up summer storms:
  • Downtown may be dry while Westside or Decatur gets heavy rain
  • Airport totals may not match what you see in Midtown
• Cold fronts and winter systems:
  • Rain is more uniform, with similar totals from Buckhead to College Park
• Tropical remnants or stalled systems:
  • Can drop several inches over a day or two, especially in low-lying or flood-prone areas

Because of this, it’s helpful to ask:

Instead of relying only on the airport or citywide number.

Quick Reference: Typical Rainfall Benchmarks in Atlanta

The actual number changes daily, but this simple table helps you interpret what you’re seeing when you check rainfall totals.

So if you check and see that Atlanta (ATL) officially recorded 2 inches in 24 hours, it often lines up with:

• Slower interstate traffic
• Pooled water on I-20, I-75/85, I-285 in low spots
• Heavier runoff into creeks and streams

How to Check How Much Rain Atlanta Got on a Specific Date

If you’re looking up rainfall for:

• An insurance claim
• A home drainage issue
• Event planning or historical curiosity

You’ll want past daily rainfall totals for Atlanta.

You can:

1. Look up daily climate or rainfall summaries for:
   • Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
2. Check:
   • Total rainfall for that date
   • Whether there were any records or notable events

These official daily totals help answer questions like:

• “How much rain did Atlanta get on my move-in date?”
• “How much rain fell during that big storm last March?”

Why Rain Totals Matter Locally in Atlanta

Knowing how much rain Atlanta got isn’t just trivia—it affects daily life:

• Commuting and Travel

  • Heavy rain can slow traffic on the Downtown Connector and major interstates
  • Rain totals help you judge flooding risk on your regular route

• Homeowners and Renters

  • Heavy multi-day rainfall can reveal problems with:
    • Yard drainage
    • Basements and crawl spaces
    • Gutters and downspouts
  • Tracking rain totals helps you understand whether issues are from a major event or routine storms

• Outdoor Plans

  • Festivals, BeltLine walks, park visits (like Piedmont Park or Grant Park) may be impacted
  • Rainfall totals, especially over several days, affect:
    • Mud levels
    • Trail conditions
    • Field closures for sports

Simple Steps to Find Out “How Much Rain Did Atlanta Get?” Today

Use this quick process whenever you want a current answer:

1. Decide your area of interest

   • Citywide (airport/official)
   • Your neighborhood, zip code, or suburb

2. Check an official rain total

   • Look up Atlanta (ATL) daily rainfall for a clear baseline number

3. Compare with local estimates

   • Use a weather app or local media for:
     • Radar-based rainfall estimates near your exact location
     • Storm-total precipitation maps

4. Note the timeframe

   • Last hour, 6 hours, 24 hours, or a specific calendar day

With those few steps, you’ll have a solid, Atlanta-specific answer to how much rain fell where you care about.

When to Pay Extra Attention to Atlanta Rain Totals

It’s especially useful to check rain amounts in and around Atlanta when:

• You notice standing water around your home or building
• You’re planning to drive through low-lying or flood-prone areas
• You manage or use:
  • Sports fields
  • Outdoor venues
  • Construction sites
• You live near creeks, streams, or rivers, where multiple days of rain can raise water levels

In those situations, knowing exact rainfall totals helps you decide:

• Whether to delay travel or outdoor activities
• When to check for leaks, drainage, or possible water damage
• How to explain conditions to a landlord, contractor, or insurance provider

By knowing where to check and how to interpret the numbers, you can turn the broad question “How much rain did Atlanta get?” into a precise, useful answer for your part of the city and your plans.