Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than South Padre Island
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 91°. Seasons differ by 39°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from November to April, when highs sit at 69–81°.
A year in South Padre Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Padre Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Padre Island’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in South Padre Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Day counts come from NOAA’s station at S Padre Is, TX, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Port Isabel, TX, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Padre Island’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 37°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 26 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 67 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Port Isabel, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in South Padre Island
13% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Port Isabel, TX.
Living with South Padre Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 3, 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, November and December. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Padre Island from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Padre Island and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Padre Island yet.
Climates most like South Padre Island’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Padre Island, TX | 53° | 91° | 26" | 0.2" |
| La Cañada Flintridge, CA | 45° | 90° | 22" | 0.0" |
| Waihee-Waiehu, HI | 64° | 89° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Marathon, FL | 64° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
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 South Padre Island averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.3°).
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 South Padre Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Padre Island’s place among Texas’.
South Padre Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Padre Island’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Port Isabel, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| February | 72° | 57° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| March | 76° | 63° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| April | 81° | 68° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| May | 86° | 74° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| June | 90° | 78° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 82° – 87° |
| July | 91° | 79° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 82° – 87° |
| August | 92° | 79° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 83° – 88° |
| September | 89° | 75° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| October | 85° | 70° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 80° |
| November | 77° | 62° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| December | 71° | 55° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| Year | 81° | 68° | 26.4" | 0.2" | 67 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 72°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where South Padre Island’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 South Padre Island’s center.
- Snow: Port Isabel, TX.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Port Isabel, TX, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: S Padre Is, TX, 5 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 South Padre Island’s climate
What is the weather like in South Padre Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 53°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Padre Island in winter?
January nights average 53°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.3 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does South Padre Island get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Port Isabel, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in South Padre Island?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 79°. About 55 days a year reach 90° (Port Isabel, TX).
When is the first and last frost in South Padre Island?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 34% of winters at Port Isabel, TX, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is South Padre Island in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 37°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Padre Island?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Padre Island 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 South Padre Island.
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.