Austin has recorded 2,373 freezing days since the 1890s, yet its coldest winter still rattles the records.
Historical Freeze Trends
Complete temperature records from Camp Mabry date back to the 1890s. Over that span, the city has dropped to 32°F 2,373 times. The average number of freezes per winter from 1897-98 to 2024-25 is about 19, but that figure has been falling. From 1991 to 2020, the average was 12.
- 1898-99 winter: 57 freezes (record-breaking). Four other winters >40 freezes: 1924-25, 1923-24, 1925-26, 1900-01.
- Fewest freezes: 1994-95 and 1997-98 each had only 4.
Decade and Monthly Patterns
The 1920s produced the most freezes, 272 total. In contrast, the 1990s had only 100 freezing days. Austin has dropped to 32°F on 74 days so far this decade (2020s).
- January accounts for 38% of all freezes, December 26%, February 22%, March and November each 6.5%, and April and October together less than 1% since 1897.
Record Dates and Calendar Days
Oct. 26, 1924, marks the earliest freeze in a season, and that winter saw 52 freezes, the second-most on record. The latest freeze on record occurred on April 9, 1914, the 18th freeze that winter.
- Jan. 7, Jan. 16, and Jan. 20 have each seen 35 freezes, the most for any single calendar day.
- Every day between Oct. 30 and Mar. 29 has experienced at least one freeze.
- The 30-year average first freeze of the season is Dec. 1, and the average last freeze is Feb. 15.
Heat vs Freeze
Since the 1890s, Austin has recorded more than 2,300 freezing days and more than 2,000 triple-digit heat days. In recent years, the number of 100° days has been catching up to freezes. Since 2010, the city has logged about 650 triple-digit heat days versus roughly 200 freezes.
Key Takeaways
- 2,373 freezing days recorded since the 1890s.
- The 1898-99 winter remains the coldest with 57 freezes.
- Since 2010, triple-digit heat days outnumber freezes.
These long-term records illustrate Austin’s shifting climate, with historic cold extremes still standing out while hot days grow more frequent.
