Photo: Katie Haugland Brown · CC BY 2.0Midwinter lows in Houston stay above those of 93% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 94°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. For walks and days out, the stretch from October to April brings highs of 64–82°.
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 Texas 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 300 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 13 and the first by December 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Houston Intercont Airport, 14 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Houston’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 54 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 104 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Houston Intercont Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Houston
28% 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 Houston Intercont Airport.
Living with Houston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
300 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 13 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 444 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Houston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Houston and its neighbors
Spring has the coldest January nights next door (43°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what 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, TX | 44° | 94° | 54" | 0.1" |
| Ocala, FL | 45° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Kingsland, GA | 41° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Paradise, CA | 40° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
| Headland, AL | 39° | 91° | 56" | 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 Houston averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 2.4 million, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
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 Texas’.
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 Houston Intercont Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 44° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| February | 68° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 67° |
| March | 74° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| April | 79° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| May | 86° | 67° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 91° | 73° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 94° | 75° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 82° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 75° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| September | 90° | 71° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 82° | 61° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| November | 72° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| December | 65° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| Year | 80° | 60° | 53.7" | 0.1" | 104 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
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: Houston Intercont Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Houston Intercont Airport, 14 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 Houston’s climate
What is the weather like in Houston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Houston in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Houston get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Houston Intercont Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Houston?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 75°. About 111 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Houston Intercont Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Houston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 13 and the first fall frost by December 9, about 300 frost-free days, at Houston Intercont Airport.
What growing zone is Houston in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Houston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Houston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% 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.