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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Austin Texas, United States

In Austin, the summers are hot and oppressive; the winters are short, cold, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 43°F to 97°F and is rarely below 30°F or above 102°F.

Based on the beach/pool score, the best time of year to visit Austin for hot-weather activities is from mid May to late September.

Climate in Austin

coolcomfortablewarmhotswelteringhotwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow72%72%55%55%clearovercastprecipitation: 3.9 inprecipitation: 3.9 in1.3 in1.3 inmuggy: 89%muggy: 89%2%2%drydrybeach/pool score: 6.6beach/pool score: 6.60.70.7
Austin weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The hot season lasts for 3.5 months, from June 2 to September 18, with an average daily high temperature above 90°F. The hottest month of the year in Austin is August, with an average high of 96°F and low of 75°F.

The cool season lasts for 2.9 months, from November 25 to February 22, with an average daily high temperature below 68°F. The coldest month of the year in Austin is January, with an average low of 43°F and high of 62°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Austin

Average High and Low Temperature in AustinhotcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FJan 661°FJan 661°FAug 597°FAug 597°F43°F43°F75°F75°FJun 290°FJun 290°FSep 1890°FSep 1890°FNov 2568°FNov 2568°FFeb 2268°FFeb 2268°F71°F71°F69°F69°F49°F49°F47°F47°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 62°F67°F74°F80°F86°F92°F95°F96°F90°F81°F72°F64°F
Temp. 51°F55°F62°F69°F76°F82°F84°F85°F79°F70°F60°F53°F
Low 43°F46°F53°F60°F68°F73°F75°F75°F70°F61°F52°F45°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Austin

Average Hourly Temperature in AustinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowcoldcoldcoldcoldcoolcoolcomfortablewarmhotvery coldcomfortablesweltering
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Medenine, Tunisia (6,022 miles away) and Zhuqi, China (7,849 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Austin (view comparison).

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In Austin, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Austin begins around May 13 and lasts for 1.9 months, ending around July 9.

The clearest month of the year in Austin is October, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 70% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around July 9 and lasts for 10 months, ending around May 13.

The cloudiest month of the year in Austin is January, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 44% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Austin

Cloud Cover Categories in AustinclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Jun 1272%Jun 1272%Jan 355%Jan 355%Jul 963%Jul 963%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 44%44%41%37%35%30%37%40%35%30%36%43%
Clearer 56%56%59%63%65%70%63%60%65%70%64%57%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Austin varies throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 4.6 months, from April 28 to September 14, with a greater than 24% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Austin is May, with an average of 9.7 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 7.4 months, from September 14 to April 28. The month with the fewest wet days in Austin is December, with an average of 4.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Austin is May, with an average of 9.7 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 35% on May 26.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Austin

Daily Chance of Precipitation in AustinwetdrydryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%May 2635%May 2635%Dec 3114%Dec 3114%Sep 1424%Sep 1424%NowNowrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 4.5d4.8d6.6d6.1d9.7d8.6d5.7d6.0d7.1d6.7d5.4d4.7d
Snow 0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d
Any 4.8d4.9d6.6d6.1d9.7d8.6d5.7d6.0d7.1d6.7d5.4d4.8d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Austin experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year in Austin. The month with the most rain in Austin is May, with an average rainfall of 3.9 inches.

The month with the least rain in Austin is July, with an average rainfall of 1.6 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Austin

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 1.7″1.7″2.1″2.2″3.9″3.1″1.6″1.7″2.5″3.1″2.4″1.8″

The length of the day in Austin varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 10 hours, 12 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 14 hours, 6 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Austin

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in AustinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 7 minMar 1912 hr, 7 minMar 1914 hr, 6 minJun 2014 hr, 6 minJun 2012 hr, 9 minSep 2212 hr, 9 minSep 2210 hr, 12 minDec 2110 hr, 12 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 10.4h11.1h12.0h12.9h13.7h14.1h13.9h13.2h12.3h11.4h10.6h10.2h

The earliest sunrise is at 6:28 AM on June 10, and the latest sunrise is 1 hour, 18 minutes later at 7:46 AM on November 2. The earliest sunset is at 5:30 PM on December 2, and the latest sunset is 3 hours, 7 minutes later at 8:36 PM on June 30.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Austin during 2024, starting in the spring on March 10, lasting 7.8 months, and ending in the fall on November 3.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Austin

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in AustinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 106:28 AMJun 106:28 AM8:36 PMJun 308:36 PMJun 30Dec 25:30 PMDec 25:30 PM7:46 AMNov 27:46 AMNov 2Mar 10DSTMar 10DSTDSTNov 3DSTNov 3daynightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Austin

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in AustinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM0001010101020202030303040404050506060708000010101020202020303030404040505050606070708036NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Austin

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

Austin experiences extreme seasonal variation in the perceived humidity.

The muggier period of the year lasts for 6.4 months, from April 14 to October 26, during which time the comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 24% of the time. The month with the most muggy days in Austin is July, with 27.3 days that are muggy or worse.

The month with the fewest muggy days in Austin is January, with 0.6 days that are muggy or worse.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Austin

Humidity Comfort Levels in AustinmuggyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jan 212%Jan 212%89%Jul 289%Jul 2Apr 1424%Apr 1424%Oct 2624%Oct 2624%NowNowoppressiveoppressivemuggymuggydrydryhumidhumidmiserablemiserable
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.6d0.8d2.8d7.6d17.8d25.4d27.3d25.8d18.9d9.4d3.8d1.3d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Austin experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 7.4 months, from October 29 to June 10, with average wind speeds of more than 9.4 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Austin is April, with an average hourly wind speed of 10.7 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 4.6 months, from June 10 to October 29. The calmest month of the year in Austin is September, with an average hourly wind speed of 8.1 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Austin

Average Wind Speed in AustinwindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mph16 mph16 mphApr 110.9 mphApr 110.9 mphSep 47.9 mphSep 47.9 mphOct 299.4 mphOct 299.4 mphJun 109.4 mphJun 109.4 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 9.810.210.710.710.19.49.08.38.19.09.79.8

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Austin varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the south for 10 months, from February 3 to December 8, with a peak percentage of 78% on July 14. The wind is most often from the north for 1.8 months, from December 8 to February 3, with a peak percentage of 40% on January 1.

Wind Direction in Austin

Wind Direction in AustinNSNJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowsouthnortheastwest
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Austin throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Austin for general outdoor tourist activities are from early April to late May and from mid September to late October, with a peak score in the last week of April.

Tourism Score in Austin

Tourism Score in Austinbest timebest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810106.56.52.62.66.56.54.84.8NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Austin for hot-weather activities is from mid May to late September, with a peak score in the third week of June.

Beach/Pool Score in Austin

Beach/Pool Score in Austinbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810106.66.60.70.76.36.3NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationbeach/pool score
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season in Austin typically lasts for 9.7 months (294 days), from around February 15 to around December 6, rarely starting after March 11, or ending before November 10.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Austin

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Austingrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%50%Feb 1550%Feb 1550%Dec 650%Dec 690%Mar 1190%Mar 1190%Nov 1090%Nov 1010%Jan 710%Jan 7Jul 7100%Jul 7100%NowNowvery coldcoldcoolwarmhotswelteringcomfortablefreezing
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Austin should appear around January 18, only rarely appearing before January 11 or after January 31.

Growing Degree Days in Austin

Growing Degree Days in AustinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F1,000°F1,000°F2,000°F2,000°F3,000°F3,000°F4,000°F4,000°F5,000°F5,000°F6,000°F6,000°F7,000°F7,000°FJan 1890°FJan 1890°FApr 8900°FApr 8900°FMay 191,800°FMay 191,800°FDec 317,024°FDec 317,024°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 4.2 months, from April 11 to August 17, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 6.2 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Austin is June, with an average of 6.9 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 2.8 months, from November 10 to February 3, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 3.8 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Austin is December, with an average of 3.1 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Austin

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in AustinbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWhJun 137.0 kWhJun 137.0 kWhDec 183.1 kWhDec 183.1 kWhApr 116.2 kWhApr 116.2 kWhAug 176.2 kWhAug 176.2 kWhFeb 33.8 kWhFeb 33.8 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 3.44.25.36.26.56.96.86.25.64.83.73.1

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Austin are 30.267 deg latitude, -97.743 deg longitude, and 489 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Austin contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 190 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 510 feet. Within 10 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (712 feet). Within 50 miles contains significant variations in elevation (1,657 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Austin is covered by artificial surfaces (100%), within 10 miles by artificial surfaces (51%) and trees (18%), and within 50 miles by cropland (30%) and shrubs (26%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Austin, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There are 2 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Austin.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Austin according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Austin is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Austin and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

  • Austin City, Austin Camp Mabry (KATT, 57%, 4 mi, north, 167 ft elevation change)
  • Bergstrom AFB / Austi (KBSM, 43%, 6 mi, southeast, 52 ft elevation change)

Sources mapKATT, 57%4 mi, 167 ftKBSM, 43%6 mi, 52 ft© OpenStreetMap contributors

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Austin and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.