By now you’ve probably stepped outside today and encountered Georgia’s trademark heat. For the first time this year, the state’s heat index has reached triple digits — ushering in the start of a long, hot, Georgia summer.
The heat of a Georgia summer can be brutal for lifelong Georgians and newcomers alike. Whether you’re visiting or you live here, you probably have wondered a time or two if there are any ways to beat the heat.
While you can’t actually beat the heat here, there are a few ways you can make it just a tad more tolerable.
Take these tips with a grain of salt though. As you’ve no doubt noticed that once we hit July and August, not even the rain is able to cool things off in the Peach State.
Drink Coca-Cola
It is a known fact that Atlanta‘s favorite elixir is able to set up an arctic blast of relief inside your body when sipped at the right temperature on a hot day.
The right temperature, according to experts at Coca-Cola is between 34 and 38 degrees. Of course, you don’t need experts to tell you what your taste buds and your body already know.
Georgia summers bring this ideal temperature out even more. The hotter it gets outside the better that chilled cola feels on the inside.
If you are unable to serve yourself a Coke at the ideal temperature, you can also stick your head in that refrigerator for a couple of minutes. That’s always a good way to cool down.
Use the humidity to your advantage
The humidity of a Georgia summer is enough to fog your glasses, singe your skin, and drench you after about 12 seconds. Use that to your advantage when you know you’re going to be outside for a while.
Make sure the air conditioning in your house is about two to five degrees cooler than you normally have it, and turn all of your ceiling fans on as high as they will go before you go outside.
When you go outside, you’re going to experience a sauna from the humidity that is going to drench your hair and your clothes. But, when you come back inside to a properly prepared house, all of that cold air and wind from the fan will turn the water from the humidity into an instant walk through a cold sprinkler. The second the air hits your body, you will feel refreshed and cool.
Buy a New Shower Head
If your shower head doesn’t have a “mist” setting, run to the store right now and buy one that does.
Once installed, just switch the mist on and stand in the shower for a few minutes when you need to cool off. Not only will the mist feel amazing, but you’ll feel a cool breeze in your shower because of the “wind” the shower head generates making the mist.
Enjoy a Georgia Staple
You may not know this, but God has provided the state of Georgia with one of nature’s finest crops in the fruit that Georgia claims credit for, the peach. California and South Carolina actually produce more peaches than Georgia, but those states aren’t “the peach state,” are they?
At any rate, a summer staple here is to take those Georgia peaches, slice them up, and use them to make homemade peach ice cream. It doesn’t matter how hot it is, eating a bowl of this southern delicacy is a heavenly experience. You just have to eat it before the sun melts it.
Stay Inside
The best way to deal with this type of scorching heat is to just stay inside and enjoy the air conditioning. This will give you plenty of time to catch up on that binge-worthy show you’ve been wanting to watch, find out what’s going on in the news, or work on that re-decorating project you’ve been putting off.
You shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to stay inside during the summer months. In fact, most people who live in the South didn’t get here until air conditioning came about anyway. The invention and home use of the air conditioner was the driving force of southern migration from the 50s to the 70s. Prior to that, Georgia wasn’t really an option for most people looking to settle down.
Could you imagine living in a state this unbearably hot from May through September every year with no air conditioning? Historically, most folks just weren’t that daring.
All kidding aside, staying indoors is actually your best bet. You won’t get heat stroke or sunburn.
Always park in the shade
Anyone with leather seats or black interior in their cars knows that if you can’t find a place in a parking lot with shade in the summer, you just need to turn around and go home.
If you do park in the sun and your interior doesn’t burn you, there is a good chance you’ll get a third-degree burn from your seatbelt, as it brands your unsuspecting arm or leg. You can try to cool your car down by using one of those windshield covers, but the shade is your best bet.
Get More Context: With the barrage of information coming through your social media feeds and phone notifications, it can be hard to get a clear picture of what’s happening in your community and throughout the state. Click here to see what else is happening in The Peach State and get your news in context instead of relying on social media feeds and notifications for your news. We’ll help you stay informed.