Austin guide

What is the weather like in Austin?

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This article is part of our Moving to Austin guide.

Last updated October 19, 2026

Austin is hot for much of the year, mild in winter, and prone to sudden heavy rain. Under the National Weather Service’s 1991–2020 normals for Camp Mabry, Austin’s official weather station, the average August high is 97.8°F and the average January low is 41.8°F. The city gets about 36 inches of rain a year, and May is the wettest month. The weather to plan around is long stretches of 100°F days, flash floods, and the odd winter storm that knocks out power.

Average August high97.8°FNWS 1991–2020 normal, Camp Mabry
Yearly rain~36 insum of NWS 1991–2020 monthly normals
100°F days a year291991–2020 average, KXAN
Freezes a year121991–2020 average, KXAN

What is Austin weather like by month?

These are the official 30-year normals for Austin Camp Mabry, from the monthly climate pages of the National Weather Service office for Austin/San Antonio. Normals are averages. Any single year can run well above or below them.

MonthAverage highAverage lowAverage rain
January62.5°F41.8°F2.64 in
February66.5°F45.8°F1.89 in
March73.3°F52.2°F2.88 in
April80.3°F58.9°F2.42 in
May86.9°F66.8°F5.04 in
June93.2°F72.9°F3.68 in
July96.6°F75.0°F1.96 in
August97.8°F75.1°F2.74 in
September91.4°F70.1°F3.45 in
October82.5°F60.8°F3.91 in
November71.5°F50.5°F2.92 in
December63.9°F43.4°F2.72 in

Add up the monthly rain normals and you get about 36.25 inches a year. That total hides a lot of swing. Camp Mabry recorded 26.83 inches in 2023 and 25.94 inches in 2025, according to KXAN. Rain here often comes in a few big storms rather than steady drizzle, and May and October tend to be the wettest stretches.

How hot do Austin summers get?

Very hot, and for a long time. Highs average above 90°F from June through September. Late May and early October can feel like summer too.

  • 100°F days are normal. Camp Mabry averaged 29 days at or above 100°F a year over 1991–2020, KXAN reports. The long-run average back to 1898 is about 16, so recent decades have run hotter.
  • Some years are far worse. 2011 holds the record with 90 days of 100°F or more. 2023 came second with 80, according to KXAN. 2023 was also Camp Mabry’s hottest year on record, averaging 72.2°F, and it set a record streak of 45 straight days at 100°F or higher (KVUE).
  • Some years are milder. 2025 had 22 100°F days at Camp Mabry, per the National Weather Service as reported by Axios Austin.
  • Records. The hottest reading in the NWS monthly records is 112°F, set in September 2000 and again in August 2011. Nights stay warm too: average July and August lows sit around 75°F.

Heat changes how people live here. Errands, runs and dog walks move to early morning. A parked car gets dangerously hot within minutes. Air conditioning is a necessity, not a luxury, and summer electric bills are a big line in most budgets. Our guide to how much it costs to live in Austin covers utilities in more detail.

What are winters like, and does Austin freeze?

Winters are mostly mild. January and December highs average in the low 60s. Freezes do happen, but not often. Camp Mabry averaged 12 freezing nights a winter over 1991–2020, KXAN reports, with the average first freeze around December 1 and the average last freeze around February 15.

The rare bad storm is what newcomers should prepare for, because the city is not built for it:

  • Winter Storm Uri (February 2021). More than 40% of Austin Energy customers lost power, many of them without heat, for days during the week after Valentine’s Day. Water treatment plants went offline and the city issued a boil-water notice. The Austin Chronicle reported 28 storm deaths in Travis County.
  • The February 2023 ice storm. Freezing rain coated trees, and falling limbs brought down power lines. About 174,000 Austin Energy customers lost power at the peak, and some outages lasted up to 12 days, the Austin Monitor reported.

Snow is rare. Ice is the bigger threat, mainly because of tree damage to overhead lines and slick roads on bridges and overpasses.

Why is Central Texas called Flash Flood Alley?

The City of Austin itself uses the name. Thin soils, steep Hill Country terrain and creeks that rise fast mean a heavy storm can turn a dry crossing into a dangerous torrent in minutes. The city’s advice is short: turn around, don’t drown. City guidance says as little as 12 inches of running water can move a vehicle.

The July 4 weekend floods of 2025 showed how deadly this can be. At least 137 people died across Central Texas, including 119 in Kerr County, according to Community Impact. Closer to Austin, around 22 inches of rain fell on parts of northwest Travis County. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office recovered 10 bodies in the county, and most of the victims lived in the Sandy Creek area near Leander, in unincorporated northwest Travis County, not in the city itself. A year later, some Sandy Creek families were still rebuilding.

For renters, this matters when choosing a place. Texas landlords must give a flood disclosure with the lease, so read it. Ask whether the unit or its parking area has flooded before, and check your route to work for low-water crossings. Our guide to how renting works in Austin explains the disclosure.

What is cedar fever?

Cedar fever is a strong allergic reaction to pollen from mountain cedar, a type of juniper that grows thick in the Hill Country and along I-35. The trees pollinate from December through February, Spectrum News reported in January 2026. Symptoms include itchy eyes, a sore throat and sneezing, and many people mistake it for a cold or the flu.

Simple steps help: keep windows closed on high-pollen days, shower before bed, change your air filter, and spend less time outdoors when counts spike. If symptoms are bad, see a doctor or pharmacist about allergy medicine before the season starts.

Does Austin get hail and severe storms?

Yes. Spring is the main season for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail in Central Texas, KXAN notes. Some Austin hailstorms have been very costly. A March 2009 storm dropped hail up to 3.5 inches across the city and caused about $160 million in damage. A September 2023 storm brought hail of about 4 inches to Round Rock, with unofficial loss estimates near $300 million across Travis and Williamson counties. Covered or garage parking is worth asking about when you rent.

How should a newcomer prepare for Austin weather?

  1. Check the AC before you sign. Ask how old the unit is, how fast maintenance answers AC calls in summer, and what a typical summer electric bill runs.
  2. Sign up for Warn Central Texas. It is the free regional alert system for Travis, Williamson, Hays and seven other counties. You choose the addresses you care about and get alerts by text, phone or email at WarnCentralTexas.org. Also make sure Wireless Emergency Alerts are on in your phone settings.
  3. Bookmark the Austin Energy outage map. It is at outagemap.austinenergy.com. You can report an outage there, by texting OUT to 287246, or by calling 512-322-9100. Austin Energy also offers outage alerts by sign-up.
  4. Check ATXfloods.com before driving in a storm. The city points drivers to ATXfloods.com for road closures and low-water crossings, since roads often flood before homes do.
  5. Get renters insurance, and think about flood insurance. A standard renters policy usually does not cover flood damage. The National Flood Insurance Program sells renters contents coverage of up to $100,000, but a new policy has a 30-day waiting period, so buy it before storm season, not during it.
  6. Keep a small storm kit. Water, a flashlight, phone battery packs, a few days of food and any medicines will carry you through a short outage in July or February.

For the rest of your move, start with our Austin moving guide and the first 30 days in Austin checklist.

Frequently asked questions about weather in Austin

What is the best time of year to move to Austin?

Spring and fall are the most comfortable. March, April and November have average highs in the 70s and low 80s, while June through September usually sit in the 90s.

How many 100-degree days does Austin get?

About 29 a year on average over 1991–2020 at Camp Mabry, KXAN reports. The count swings widely, from 90 in 2011 and 80 in 2023 to 22 in 2025.

Does it snow in Austin?

Rarely. Freezing nights average about 12 a winter, and ice storms like the one in February 2023 are a bigger risk than snow.

What is the wettest month in Austin?

May, with a normal of 5.04 inches at Camp Mabry. October is second at 3.91 inches, and heavy storms can cause flash flooding in either month.

Sources

Go Big City Team
Author: Go Big City Team

More Austin questions

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