Photo: Nsaum75 · CC BY-SA 3.0Galveston’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Galveston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Galveston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Galveston’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Galveston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Galveston Scholes Fld, TX, 9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Galveston’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 95 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Galveston Scholes Fld, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Galveston
20% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Galveston Scholes Fld, TX.
Living with Galveston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 2, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 36 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Galveston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Galveston and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Galveston in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Galveston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galveston, TX | 48° | 89° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Neptune Beach, FL | 47° | 90° | 51" | 0.0" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| James Island, SC | 41° | 90° | 49" | 0.3" |
| Patterson, LA | 44° | 90° | 60" | 0.0" |
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 Galveston averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Galveston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Galveston’s place among Texas’.
Galveston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Galveston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galveston Scholes Fld, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| February | 65° | 51° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 66° |
| March | 70° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| April | 76° | 64° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| May | 82° | 71° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| June | 88° | 77° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| July | 89° | 79° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 79° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| September | 87° | 75° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| October | 80° | 66° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 71° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| December | 65° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| Year | 77° | 64° | 52.2" | 0.1" | 95 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 66°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Galveston’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 Galveston’s center.
- Snow: Galveston Scholes Fld, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Galveston Scholes Fld, TX, 9 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Galveston’s climate
What is the weather like in Galveston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Galveston in winter?
January nights average 48°. About 2 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Galveston get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Galveston Scholes Fld, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Galveston?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 79°. About 66 days a year reach 90° (Galveston Scholes Fld, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Galveston?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 48% of winters at Galveston Scholes Fld, TX, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Galveston in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Galveston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Galveston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Galveston.
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.