Atl. Temperatures Headed to 120?

Atlanta is not called Hot-lanta for nothing. Summers in Atlanta are muggy, hot and hazy. Now NASA is predicting that Metro Atlanta will see more scorching summers in the coming years with temperatures above 110 degrees by the year 2080.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Atlanta was 105 degrees, while the highest ever recorded in the state was 112 degrees.

But by the year 2080, those temperatures may be our normal summer highs if what's being said in a new study comes true.

In what could be the summers of the future in Georgia, a temperature around 90 degrees on a mid-summer day might be considered cool. A new study just out from NASA suggests later this century our average summertime highs in Atlanta would be 100-110 degrees, instead of the 80-90 degrees that they are now.

While this story is based on computer analysis of a number of environmental conditions and factors, 11Alive News asked Georgia Tech atmospheric sciences chairperson and professor Dr. Judith Curry if the study seemed realistic.

"It wouldn't surprise me if that happened down the road," Curry said. "The point that hasn't been made to the public that it's the extremes It maps out there on the tail of the distributions that's clearly going to be more dangerous and harmful."

Summers in Atlanta feeling more like summers in Arizona? There wouldn't be too many comfortable days in the park with those kinds of temperatures.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," said park patron Lorrie McNeil. "I hope we get a little more responsible, and try to stop some of our bad habits."

Perhaps Atlanta's nickname may indeed best describe Atlanta's weather of the future -- Hot-lanta.