Athens weather in August

In August, Athens sees average daytime highs of 87°F and overnight lows near 72°F, with 3.0 in of rain across 10.8 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 87°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of August to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Athens's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Athens's year-round climate.

Daytime high
87°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
72°
11th coldest
Rainfall
3.0 in
10.8 wet days
Daylight
13 h 18 min
5:12 AM – 6:31 PM
Cloud cover
55%
4th clearest
Wind
5 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.7
out of 10

Athens is county seat of Limestone County, Alabama, United States.

Density
240/km²
people per km²
Founded
1818

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 87°F through the month.

A typical August day in Athens reaches about 87°F in the afternoon and slips back to 72°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 81°F and 92°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 5°F warmer than September.

60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18773
28773
38773
48773
58773
68773
78773
88773
98773
108772
118772
128772
138772
148772
158772
168772
178772
188772
198772
208772
218772
228771
238771
248771
258671
268671
278671
288671
298671
308670
318670

How August really feels in Athens

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 28 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
28
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in August is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Athens weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan50° / 35°5.09.90.69.92.2
Feb54° / 38°4.810.60.910.73.1
Mar62° / 45°5.511.40.311.75.1
Apr71° / 53°4.99.9012.86.5
May78° / 62°4.010.9013.86.6
Jun85° / 70°3.812014.35.0
Jul87° / 73°4.012.1014.14.4
Aug87° / 72°3.010.8013.34.7
Sep82° / 66°3.37.2012.26.6
Oct71° / 54°3.47.3011.17.3
Nov60° / 44°4.08.6010.25.2
Dec52° / 38°5.310.70.49.72.8

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 43%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25347
35347
45347
55446
65446
75446
85545
95545
105545
115644
125644
135644
145644
155743
165743
175842
185842
195842
205842
215941
225941
235842
245842
255842
265842
275842
285941
295941
306040
316040

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Athens gets around 3.0 in of rain over 10.8 wet days in August, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 35% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
238
338
438
538
638
738
838
938
1039
1139
1239
1338
1438
1537
1637
1736
1835
1934
2034
2133
2233
2333
2432
2532
2631
2730
2830
2929
3028
3127

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 54% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 86% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
101724635
201724635
301725625
401725625
502725624
602825614
702825614
802925604
912926584
1012926584
11121026574
12121026574
13121126564
14121127554
15121227544
16121228534
17121228534
18121229524
19121230523
20021231523
21031232503
22031233502
23031233502
24031234492
25031235491
26031236481
27041237471
28141337451
29141338430
30141439410
31151540390

Wind in August

Winds average 5 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of August to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:01 AM to 5:24 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 6:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:016:47
213.75:026:46
313.75:036:45
413.75:036:44
513.75:046:43
613.65:056:42
713.65:066:41
813.65:066:40
913.55:076:39
1013.55:086:38
1113.55:096:37
1213.45:096:36
1313.45:106:35
1413.45:116:34
1513.35:126:33
1613.35:126:31
1713.35:136:30
1813.35:146:29
1913.25:156:28
2013.25:166:27
2113.25:166:25
2213.15:176:24
2313.15:186:23
2413.05:196:21
2513.05:196:20
2613.05:206:19
2712.95:216:17
2812.95:226:16
2912.95:226:15
3012.85:236:13
3112.85:246:12

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.23 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 5.69 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Athens?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.7
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Athens for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Athens in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Athens sees daytime highs around 87°F and nights near 72°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Athens in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Athens peaks around July 12 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Athens in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Athens is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Jan 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Athens?

Athens sits at 34.8°N, 87.0°W, 722 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Decatur, 14 mi away.

Topography around Athens

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Athens.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Athens has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 157 ft around an average of 715 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 371 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,493 ft.

The land around Athens is covered by trees (41%) and grassland (31%) within 2 miles, trees (38%), cropland (30%) and grassland (26%) within 10 miles, and trees (61%) and grassland (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
157 ft
10 miles
371 ft
50 miles
1,493 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: Decatur 14 mi · Madison 14 mi · Huntsville 22 mi · East Florence 39 mi · Florence 40 mi · Cullman 44 mi · Shelbyville 55 mi · Columbia 57 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Athens (34.8024°, -86.9722°, elevation 722 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).