Seasonally, southeastern summers are typically hot and humid. The Bermuda High pumps hot and humid air mass from the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Gulf of Mexico westward to the southeastern United States, producing traditional tropical summers.

Winters are mild in areas such as Tennessee and western North Carolina, with an average temperature of 45 °F (7 °C) in January. Farther south, winters become milder throughout the interior of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. In the coastal plains and coastal areas of Georgia and Carolina, the winters are warm, with daytime highs near or above 60 °F (16 °C) and far enough south in central Florida.