Kristen's Classroom: How cold is cold for Austin?
AUSTIN (KXAN) – This morning’s wind chills in the single digits and teens are enough to make you grab all the winter gear you can find in the closet. And despite it being a ‘bone-chilling’ type of cold, it’s not the coldest we’ve ever been. So it begs the question… what do those numbers look like?
The coldest temperature on record
Records for the Austin area date back to the 1890s. Since then, temperatures have only fallen below 0° twice, dropping to -2° on Jan. 31, 1949 and -1° on Feb. 12, 1899.
The coldest month on record
Since record-keeping began, the coldest month ever recorded was January 1930, when the average temperature (accounting for both afternoon highs and overnight lows) was only 39.3°. For perspective, the average temperature in a normal January is 52.2°.
Most number of freezes
The winter season of 1898-18999 recorded 57 freezes, far above the average of 19. The 2024-2025 season has recorded 13 freezes (with at least 3 more on the way).
This week’s forecast
Our current forecast calls for lows in the teens and 20s with afternoon highs in the 30s. For perspective, our lows should be in the mid- to upper 40s with afternoon highs in the upper 60s.
For the latest forecast, click here. For more in-depth weather statistics, click here.
