Climate - Austin (Texas)

The climate of Austin is subtropical, with mild winters and very hot, muggy summers.
The city is the capital city of Texas and is located on the 30th parallel, about 250 km (155 mi) away from the Gulf of Mexico.
Winter, from December to February, is mild, but there may be variations in temperature. Even in the middle of winter, there can be hot days, with highs of 25 °C (77 °F) and more. In other circumstances, it can get cold at night, and the temperature can drop below freezing.
Occasionally, there may be real cold waves, which last a few days, during which the temperature can drop to -10 °C (14 °F) or below. The record is -19 °C (-2 °F), recorded in January 1949. After 1980, the lowest values were -15.5 °C (4 °F) in December 1989 and -14 °C (7 °F) in February 2021.
Sometimes the dangerous phenomenon of freezing rain can occur.
Snowfalls in Austin are rare. Snowfalls with slight accumulation occurred in the Christmas of 2004 and in December 2017. In February 2021, snow depth reached 16 cm (6.4 in), which had not happened for decades.
In the summer, from June to September, the combination of high temperature and humidity makes the heat very unpleasant. On the hottest days, it can reach and exceed 40 °C (104 °F). The record is 44.5 °C (112 °F), recorded at the beginning of September 2000 and at the end of August 2011.
From time to time, the city can be reached by the remnants of a hurricane, coming from the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific. In general, hurricanes weaken when they penetrate inland, however, they can still bring abundant rains. The hurricane season runs from June to November, although they are more likely from August to October, with a peak in September.
Austin is on the edge of the "tornado alley", so tornadoes can occasionally form between April and June (and more rarely in autumn).
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 10.9 °C (52 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 29.9 °C (86 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 870 millimeters (34.3 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. In fact, the city is located halfway between the west of Texas, which is arid, and the east, which is rainy. The rainiest seasons are spring and autumn, due to the clash of air masses. Here is the average precipitation.

On average, there are around 2,645 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

To visit Austin, you can choose spring and autumn (in particular, from mid-March to mid-April and from mid-October to mid-November), to avoid the summer heat. In winter, there are long mild periods, but some very cold days cannot be excluded.

Return to the climate of Texas.