Austin, Texas, is situated in Central Texas and experiences a humid subtropical climate, meaning winter precipitation is usually rain. Despite its southern location, snow does occasionally fall in the city, but these events are typically light and extremely rare. Yes, it does snow in Austin, but it is not a regular occurrence and rarely results in significant accumulation or long-lasting snow cover.
The Historical Reality of Austin Snowfall
Snowfall in Austin is a highly infrequent event, with the average annual accumulation being a trace amount or near zero. The city averages about 0.9 inches of snow per year, but this figure is heavily skewed by a few large, historical storms. Measurable snowfall (0.1 inch or more) is low, occurring roughly once every two to three years.
When winter precipitation falls in Central Texas, it more commonly manifests as freezing rain or sleet rather than snow. These events can be highly disruptive because they create hazardous driving conditions on untreated roads. Accumulations of one inch or more are exceptionally rare, occurring only once every six or seven years on average.
Meteorological Factors Limiting Snow
Austin’s geographical position and prevailing weather patterns create a complex atmospheric barrier that usually prevents snow from forming or reaching the ground. For snow to fall, two conditions must align simultaneously: a deep layer of freezing air from the cloud level all the way down to the surface, and sufficient moisture to create the precipitation. The city is often positioned where these two ingredients fail to coincide.
The average low temperature during January, the coldest month, is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is well above the 32-degree freezing mark required for snow. While strong arctic cold fronts can plunge temperatures below freezing, they often bring dry continental air. When moisture is present, it usually arrives from the Gulf of Mexico, which is a warmer, maritime air mass.
Warm, moist air from the Gulf frequently overrides the cold air mass near the surface. Consequently, snowflakes melt as they descend through a warmer layer before re-freezing closer to the ground, resulting in sleet or freezing rain instead of snow. The lack of geographical barriers allows arctic air to penetrate deeply into Texas, but the proximity to the Gulf prevents the necessary deep, sustained cold.
Notable Historical Snow Events
While Austin rarely sees snow, the heaviest snowfall event on record occurred on November 22–23, 1937, when 11 inches of snow blanketed the city. This historic storm stands as an outlier, demonstrating the rare, extreme potential of Central Texas winter weather.
The winter storm in February 2021 brought widespread, measurable snow to Austin, with readings of up to 6.4 inches recorded. This event was notable for the duration and severity of the cold, which caused widespread power outages and infrastructure failures across the state.
In the history of weather record-keeping, only seven winter storms have produced five or more inches of snow accumulation. Other significant snowfalls include 7 inches in January 1944 and 6.5 inches on January 30, 1949. These events serve as reminders that although Austin’s climate is mild, it remains susceptible to powerful, infrequent incursions of arctic air.