Texas is a state of stark weather contrasts: searing heat, blinding wind, bone-numbing cold, and don’t forget those tornadoes, hailstorms, hurricanes, and occasional blizzards. However, there are plenty of places in the Lone Star State that ideally balances these conditions in their milder form and has the best weather overall.
Based on previous data, Houston has the best weather out of the six major cities in Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and El Paso).
But, this is really a subjective concept; maybe you like 90° sunny summers or prefer snowy winters. So, before we examine the cities with the best weather, we’ll need to determine what that “best weather” should look like.
What Weather is Considered “Comfortable?”
According to Scientific American, people feel most comfortable at around 70°F. Most folks are getting too warm over 90° and are chilly at under 50°. Depending on air temperature, humidity levels under 60% are relatively comfortable. As the temperature goes up, humidity levels need to go down to maintain comfort.
Additionally, most folks prefer sunny days to cloudy or overcast days. Rain, though great for farming, is not one of those things most consider “best” weather, so we’ll look for abundant sunshine. Finally, we want to try to find areas that have lower severe storm risks. Most of us find those things scary and a hazard to our home once tornadoes, severe lightning, hail, and flooding get involved, so we would prefer to avoid them as much as possible.
Comparing the Weather of Texas’ Major Cities
Texas has WAY too many towns, burgs, and villages to consider each one; we need to limit ourselves to the “cities.” For the purposes of this article, we’re considering a “city” any area with over 500,000 people living there.
In Texas, that 500,000 threshold population limits us to 6 cities as of 2019, according to Wikipedia. In order of size, they are:
- Houston (2,325,502)
- San Antonio (1,532,233)
- Dallas (1,345,047)
- Austin (964,254)
- Ft. Worth (895,008)
- El Paso (682,669)
Now, let’s examine each of our top six contenders in terms of average temperatures, highs, lows, hours of sunlight, and amount of rainfall annually. All of our weather information for the cities come from US Climate Data.
Houston
Houston has an overall average temperature of 78°F for a high and 60°F for a low. Houston’s highest average temperature is 93° in August, and its lowest average temperature is 44°F in January. It rains an average of 106 days annually for a total of 45.28”.
San Antonio
San Antonio has an overall annual average high temperature of 80°F and an annual low temperature of 57°F. San Antonio’s highest average temperature is 95°F in both July and August. Its lowest average temperature is 39°F in January. It rains an average of 83 days annually, for a total of 32.91” of precipitation.
Dallas
Dallas has an overall annual average high temperature of 77°F and an annual average low temperature of 52°F. Dallas’ highest average temperature is 96 in August. Its lowest average temperature is 30°F in January. It rains an average of 78 days annually, for a total of 40.93” of precipitation.
Austin
Austin has an overall annual average high temperature of 80°F and an annual average low temperature of 59°F. Austin’s highest average temperature is 97°F in August, and its lowest average temperature is 42°F in both December and January. It rains an average of 79 days a year, for total precipitation of 34.24”.
Ft. Worth
Ft. Worth has an overall annual average high temperature of 77°F and an annual average low temperature of 54°F. Ft. Worth’s highest average temperature is 97°F in August, and its lowest average temperature is 33°F in January. It rains an average of 79 days per year, for total precipitation of 37”.
El Paso
El Paso has an overall annual average high temperature of 77°F and an annual average low temperature of 52°F. El Paso’s highest average temperature is 96°F in June, and its lowest average temperature is 33°F in both December and January. It rains an average of 43 days per year, for total precipitation of 13”.
The Bottom Line
Based strictly on the numbers, Houston has the best overall weather of all the major cities in Texas. They have less of a swing between their overall highs and lows, and they do not get too hot or too cold as often than the others investigated. (Please note, there is no comparison on humidity levels as different people find comfort at vastly different levels.)
To stay cool no matter where you are in Texas, try BLACK+DECKER’s portable air conditioner for large spaces.
Wherever you decide to live in Texas, you know you can expect a lot of sunshine, warm summers, cool winters, and friendly folks to pass the time with. Isn’t that what really matters?
