Houston sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 75°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 74% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 29; in half of years the first frost comes by October 10.
A year in Houston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Houston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Houston’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Houston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Caledonia, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Houston’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Caledonia, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Houston
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Caledonia, MN.
Living with Houston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Houston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Houston and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Houston in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Houston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 45" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
| Mayville, WI | 10° | 81° | 35" | 41" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Houston averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Houston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Houston’s place among Minnesota’s.
Houston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Houston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Caledonia, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 1.1" | 10.4" | 7 | 23 | 6° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 12° | 1.1" | 10.6" | 6 | 24 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 1.9" | 7.4" | 8 | 12 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.9" | 3.2" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 1.9" | 2.8" | 7 | 3 | 26° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.4" | 10.1" | 7 | 18 | 9° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 36.3" | 44.8" | 112 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Houston’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 Houston’s center.
- Snow: Caledonia, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Caledonia, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft higher; 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 Houston’s climate
What is the weather like in Houston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Houston in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Houston get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Caledonia, MN, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in Houston?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Caledonia, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Houston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 165 frost-free days, at Caledonia, MN.
What growing zone is Houston in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Houston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Houston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Houston.
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.