Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Austin reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 38°. In January, nights here are milder than in 85% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. For walks and days out, the stretch from February to April and October to November brings highs of 66–82°.
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 Texas 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 291 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 20 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from Austin-camp Mabry, TX, Austin’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 1.6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Austin’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 36 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 86 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Austin-camp Mabry, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Austin
30% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Austin-camp Mabry, TX.
Living with Austin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
291 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 533 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Austin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Austin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Austin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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, TX | 38° | 96° | 36" | 0.2" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Lone Grove, OK | 31° | 94° | 39" | 2.7" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Vidalia, GA | 38° | 93° | 47" | 0.1" |
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 Austin averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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. In a city of 1.0 million, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
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 Texas’.
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 Austin-camp Mabry, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| February | 66° | 42° | 2.1" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| March | 73° | 50° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| April | 80° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| May | 87° | 64° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| June | 93° | 71° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 73° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 97° | 73° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| September | 91° | 67° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| October | 82° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| November | 71° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 63° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| Year | 80° | 57° | 35.9" | 0.2" | 86 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 62°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
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: Austin-camp Mabry, TX (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Austin-camp Mabry, TX, 1.6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Austin in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Austin get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Austin-camp Mabry, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Austin?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 73°. About 123 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Austin-camp Mabry, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Austin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 20 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 291 frost-free days, at Austin-camp Mabry, TX.
What growing zone is Austin in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Austin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Austin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% 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.