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Climate in Austin


Climate in Austin

Austin weather is generally nice year-round; activities are generally not limited by season. However, as Austin lies within Central Texas, be prepared to deal with the long, hot summers if you are visiting between May and September. It is not uncommon for daily high temperatures to be between 90 and 100 degrees during this time - in fact, a day in the 80s is rare, and several days may even reach triple digits (68 days in 2009). If you are here when the weather is like this, dress accordingly, drink plenty of water, and do not plan on staying outside for long (nearly all indoor places are air-conditioned) - unless you're taking the opportunity to take a dip in Barton Springs Pool or any of the other swimming holes in the area. This is especially true if the heat index is around 105 or higher, which is considered to be dangerous. Also keep in mind that the interior of cars will get dangerously hot, especially if the windows are up and it's parked in the sun - don't leave pets or children in there, no matter how brief. How hot the summer gets usually depends on the amount of precipitation the area has been getting. If there is no drought and the spring has been particularly wet, temperatures will remain relatively tolerable and rarely break triple digits. If it has been dry, as it was from 2007-2009, summers can be very uncomfortable and triple-digit temps will be very common. In 2009, Austinites suffered 69 days with temperatures over 100 F. Central Texas winters are short to non-existent. There are many pleasant or even warm days during the winter months (the first 90 degree day of 2009 was in February), and snowfall is rare. However, hard freezes are less rare (though not as frequently occuring as they are in more northerly places), and light freezes may occur frequently (especially in the more rural areas), and when this mixes with precipitation, ice storms and other wintry weather happen. If the storm is severe enough, the city may shut down for a day or so, traffic may be snarled, and the local auto body shops may receive a spike in business. The Austin area usually experiences such events 0-2 times each year or so, from late December to mid-February. Generally, though, winter weather just varies a lot, with alternating cold and warm fronts that can make for large temperature swings within just a week's time. Spring and fall are the best times to visit. Springs tend to be stormy (see "Stay safe" for related warning), and falls may bring light freezes during the night. For the most part, though, springs and falls are very pleasant times to experience Austin.

The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Austin

Climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Daily highs (°F) 60 64 72 79 85 91 95 96 90 81 70 63
Nightly lows (°F) 39 43 50 58 65 72 74 74 69 59 49 42
Precipitation (in) 1.8 2.4 1.9 2.9 4.5 3.4 1.8 2.1 3.3 3.5 2.1 2.3

Check Austin's 7 day forecast at

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Austin Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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