Houston, TX Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
- Warmer national band · Avg annual temp
- 71°FAnnual mean temperature: 70.5°F. National station-mapped location corpus median: 52.2°F across 6,861 measured records.
- Upper score band · Comfort score
- 87/100PlainClimate Comfort Score: 87/100. National station-mapped Comfort Score corpus median: 64/100 across 6,189 measured records.
- Wetter national band · Annual precip
- 51.8"Annual precipitation: 51.8 inches. National station-mapped location corpus median: 36.2 inches across 6,352 measured records.
- Long-season national band · Growing season
- 299dFrost-free growing season: 299 days. National station-mapped location corpus median: 180 days across 6,446 measured records.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Houston's primary NOAA station, HOUSTON INTERCONT AP.
The climate verdict for Houston
Warm-season cooling demand defines Houston, Texas, running at more than twice its heating total. The NOAA normal records an annual average of 71°F. It scores 87/100 for climate comfort (excellent), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 87% of them.
- 71°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 87/100
- comfort score, above 87% of station-mapped location scores
- 51.8"
- precipitation, annual total
- 299 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
71°F (21°C)Annual mean temperature: 70.5°F. National station-mapped location corpus median: 52.2°F across 6,861 measured records.
Warmer national band
Avg High
80°FAnnual average daily high: 80.4°F. National station-mapped location corpus median: 63.8°F across 6,861 measured records.
Warmer national band
Avg Low
61°FAnnual average daily low: 60.5°F. National station-mapped location corpus median: 41.1°F across 6,861 measured records.
Warmer national band
Annual Precip
51.8"Annual precipitation: 51.8 inches. National station-mapped location corpus median: 36.2 inches across 6,352 measured records.
Wetter national band
Annual Snow
0.1"Annual snowfall: 0.1 inches. National station-mapped location corpus median: 18.9 inches across 4,098 measured records.
Low-snow national band
Comfort Score
87/100PlainClimate Comfort Score: 87/100. National station-mapped Comfort Score corpus median: 64/100 across 6,189 measured records.
Upper score band · Excellent
Houston sits in Texas, the #4 hottest U.S. state at 66.2°F statewide annual average - see all 50 hottest states ranked by NOAA normals
Climate Living Index · model supports three NOAA data products
Houston's broader climate profile: 66/100
A percentile-benchmarked model across annual, daily, and hourly climate normals. This record uses 3 measured NOAA products; every input remains inspectable.
PlainClimate-derived, not an official NOAA rating. This separate index does not replace the established Comfort Score used in rankings, and it is not a verdict on safety, health, housing, culture, or overall quality of life.
-
Annual temperature balance
70.5°F · 3.0° from 67.5°F
91/100 A · weight 25%Distance from a 67.5°F annual mean; smaller is better.
NOAA annual/seasonal normals ·
ANN-TAVG-NORMAL -
Precipitation balance
51.8 in · 16.8 from 35 in
40/100 D · weight 15%Distance from 35 annual inches; smaller is better.
NOAA annual/seasonal normals ·
ANN-PRCP-NORMAL -
Snowfall burden
0.1 inches/year
89/100 A · weight 10%Annual snowfall; lower is better in this formula.
NOAA annual/seasonal normals ·
ANN-SNOW-NORMAL -
Frost-free season
299 days/year
100/100 A · weight 10%Days between NOAA 50% spring and fall freeze dates; longer is better.
NOAA annual/seasonal normals ·
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP50 + ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP50 -
Normal heat + freeze calendar
113 calendar days
69/100 C · weight 25%Normal high ≥90°F days plus normal low ≤32°F days; lower is better.
NOAA daily multivariate normals ·
DLY-TMAX-NORMAL + DLY-TMIN-NORMAL (derived counts) -
Summer moisture balance
72.5°F mean dew point
5/100 F · weight 15%June–August mean dew point distance from 52.5°F; smaller is better.
NOAA hourly normals ·
HLY-DEWP-NORMAL
Live national benchmark table and calculation
Each raw metric is linearly interpolated across its live p10, p25, p50, p75, and p90 breakpoints. Equal-valued breakpoints collapse to their mean percentile; values outside p10-p90 extrapolate toward 0 or 100 using the nearest non-flat segment, then clamp to that range. Scores favor the direction shown, then combine by the listed weights. Missing dimensions are removed from both the weighted sum and available weight before normalization.
| Dimension | Weight | Better | p10 | p25 | p50 | p75 | p90 | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 25% | Lower | 3.4 | 7.9 | 15.3 | 21 | 25.2 | 6,861 |
| Precipitation balance | 15% | Lower | 2.7 | 7.1 | 14.2 | 20.9 | 25.7 | 6,352 |
| Snowfall burden | 10% | Lower | 0 | 2.1 | 18.9 | 42.7 | 69.8 | 4,098 |
| Frost-free season | 10% | Higher | 127 | 150 | 180 | 215 | 253 | 6,446 |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 25% | Lower | 56 | 102 | 145 | 180 | 207 | 6,859 |
| Summer moisture balance | 15% | Lower | 2.7 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 14.8 | 18.4 | 417 |
Grades: A 85–100 · B 70–84 · C 55–69 · D 40–54 · F below 40.
Established ranking Comfort Score: 87/100 · inspect its separate fixed-point formula
This legacy score keeps the rankings stable. It uses annual/seasonal normals only; unlike the Climate Living Index above, it is not percentile-scored per dimension.
- Temperature mildness70.5°F annual mean40/40 points
- Precipitation moderation51.8 inches/year20/30 points
- Snow burden0.1 inches/year15/15 points
- Frost-free season299 days/year12/15 points
87/100 available points → 87/100. Full Comfort Score method.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991–2020). This record uses NOAA annual/seasonal normals and NOAA daily multivariate normals and NOAA hourly normals; the model also supports hourly normals where published · data updated 2026-08-04. Full methodology and limits.
How Houston compares with its closest stations
Against the 6 closest stations in the record, Houston averages 71°F a year, warmer than Houston Hooks Mem, TX (70°F) and Conroe, TX (70°F). On comfort score it places 4 of 7 in that local group.
Corpus-relative placement
Where Houston sits across the climate record
These comparisons place this primary-station normal among station-mapped locations with the same NOAA 1991–2020 fields.
- Annual temperature
- Warmer than 96%
- of 6,861 measured location normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Wetter than 85%
- of 6,352 measured location normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Larger than 12%
- of 6,861 complete location-year normals.
How Houston compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Houston's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
87 Top 13% score exceeds 87% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Below this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). This entry sits in this band.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Houston's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 71 complete annual observations from 1948 to 2025, HOUSTON INTERCONT AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.23°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Houston primary station fitted change +0.23 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64°F (18°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 3.8" | 0.0" | 4.1 | 0.0 |
| February | 68°F (20°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 3.0" | 0.0" | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| March | 74°F (23°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 3.5" | 0.0" | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| April | 80°F (27°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| May | 87°F (31°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 5.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 9.5 |
| June | 92°F (34°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 83°F (28°C) | 6.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 23.1 |
| July | 95°F (35°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 85°F (30°C) | 3.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 27.3 |
| August | 95°F (35°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 85°F (30°C) | 4.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 27.1 |
| September | 90°F (32°C) | 71°F (21°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 4.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 18.3 |
| October | 83°F (28°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 5.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| November | 73°F (23°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 3.9" | 0.0" | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| December | 65°F (19°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 4.0" | 0.1" | 2.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
The year in Houston runs from a mild 43°F around January 9 to 96°F at the peak near August 4, and the normal low never reaches freezing on any date in the record.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from May 29 through September 18, covering 113 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs February 26 to November 23.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
No freezing date
Not one calendar date in the 1991–2020 record carries a normal low at or below 32°F. The coldest normal low of the year is 43°F around January 9.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is June 25, when 34% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is April 27 at 24%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 105 wet dates a year.
The widest day
October 17 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 22°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Houston.
Where Houston Stands Nationally
Summers here run among the most heat-heavy normals calendars in the country: on about 113 days a year the normal daily high itself reaches 90°F — a count fewer than one station in ten exceeds.
The normal water year runs well above the national norm at roughly 52 inches.
Standing computed against the distribution of 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations in the PlainClimate database; only nationally notable standings are shown.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
10.0 days with precipitation
8.8 days with precipitation
8.8 days with precipitation
7.3 days with precipitation
8.6 days with precipitation
10.0 days with precipitation
9.1 days with precipitation
8.5 days with precipitation
8.4 days with precipitation
7.7 days with precipitation
7.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
9.6 days with precipitation
Houston spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 28% of the annual total and December through February 21%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Houston has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 31.4°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: June averages 6.0" and February 3.0". The three wettest months together take 32% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
When it rains in Houston, it arrives in quantity
51.8" of precipitation falls across only about 104 wet days here, averaging 0.50 inches each. Fewer days carry more water: the year's total is delivered in comparatively heavy events rather than persistent damp.
- Days with measurable precipitation
- about 104 a year, 29% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.50 inches
- Most wet days
- January, about 10
- Fewest wet days
- April, about 7
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, and a per-day average is not a forecast of any individual storm.
Snow reaches Houston, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 0.1 inches of snow a year here, most likely in December. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 0 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 9
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
February 13
50% probability date
Growing Season
299 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
1,266
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
3,288
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
August
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70% | 7.9 | 18% | 42% |
| February | 70% | 8.5 | 17% | 41% |
| March | 71% | 8.8 | 16% | 37% |
| April | 71% | 9.0 | 16% | 27% |
| May | 74% | 7.3 | 7% | 15% |
| June | 74% | 6.4 | 7% | 13% |
| July | 71% | 5.8 | 9% | 8% |
| August | 73% | 5.9 | 12% | 11% |
| September | 71% | 6.3 | 28% | 11% |
| October | 73% | 7.1 | 27% | 21% |
| November | 74% | 7.2 | 21% | 32% |
| December | 72% | 7.7 | 20% | 41% |
Places with a similar climate profile
NOAA 1991–2020 annual normals connect this location to non-geographic peers. Temperature peers use annual mean temperature; energy peers use both heating and cooling degree days.
Closest annual-temperature peers
What Houston's climate means for you
Houston runs 71°F a year - peaking in August, coldest in January.
- A long growing window of about 299 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze around February 13, leaves room for successive plantings.
- Both loads matter across the year, 1,266 heating and 3,288 cooling degree days, so shoulder-season efficiency pays here.
- See how Houston lines up against the rest of Texas and the national rankings. See rankings
Climate Guides
Data-derived climate profile
How Houston's climate pattern fits together
cooling led · wet · mid swing
Air-conditioning demand is the clearest thermal signal here. Houston accumulates 3,288 cooling degree days, more than twice its 1,266 heating total; the monthly table shows when that imbalance builds rather than treating it as a year-round condition.
Warm-season demand is paired with a wet annual normal: 51.8 inches of precipitation at Houston. Recorded annual snowfall is negligible. The month-by-month bars distinguish a concentrated wet season from moisture spread across the calendar.
August and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Houston's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 31.4°F. The annual average is 71°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
The frost-free window extends for about 299 days. That is a long calendar measure, but it is not a forecast and does not combine heat, rainfall, soil, or local elevation into a planting recommendation.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Houston's primary station, so the summer figures are a thirty-year average rather than a ceiling: individual years have run hotter and will again. They are descriptive ranges, not an official NOAA classification or a forecast for any specific year.
The year in four calendar signals
- Warmest normal
- August
- At 85°F (30°C) this is a genuinely hot month, in the top third of US stations, and the daily average understates afternoon highs.
- Coldest normal
- January
- The coldest month still averages 54°F (12°C), above freezing, so this calendar has no hard winter.
- Rainfall rhythm
- June to February
- June is typically wettest; February is driest.
- Mild-temperature window
- February through December
- Monthly means sit between 55°F and 75°F in this window. Freezing days are still reported from January through December.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Houston, TX? ▼
How much rain does Houston get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Houston get? ▼
What is the comfort score for Houston? ▼
When is the growing season in Houston? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Houston? ▼
Where does this Houston climate data come from? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Houston's primary station: HOUSTON INTERCONT AP (USW00012960). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 4835000). The reproducible method is an exact normalized name-and-state match; unresolved is an upper bound on facilities because spelling variants can be missed.
Related
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.