Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Austin tops that of 90% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 92°. A year here swings 61° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its July heat outdoes that of 87% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Austin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Austin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Austin’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Austin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cabot, AR, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Austin’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cabot, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; April is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Austin
64% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cabot, AR.
Living with Austin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Austin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Austin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Austin yet.
Climates most like Austin’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, AR | 31° | 92° | 53" | 2.1" |
| Idabel, OK | 32° | 93° | 53" | 2.0" |
| Lincoln, AL | 33° | 91° | 54" | 0.9" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
| Wake Village, TX | 34° | 93° | 52" | 2.1" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Austin averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Austin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Austin’s place among Arkansas’.
Austin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Austin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cabot, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 31° | 3.8" | 0.7" | 7 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 4.2" | 0.9" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 5.1" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 51° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 60° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 62° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 34° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 32° – 51° |
| Year | 72° | 51° | 52.5" | 2.1" | 92 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Austin’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Austin’s center.
- Snow: Cabot, AR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cabot, AR, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Austin’s climate
What is the weather like in Austin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Austin in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Austin get?
About 2.1 inches in a normal winter at Cabot, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Austin?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Cabot, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Austin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 209 frost-free days, at Cabot, AR.
What growing zone is Austin in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Austin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Austin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Austin.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.