Some parts of the Austin metro saw light snowfall from the arctic cold front that blew into Central Texas this week.
The residents of Del Valle woke up to a dusting of snow Monday — just enough to last a morning and to make a few snowballs.
In recognition of the event, we decided to do some reflection on snowfall in ATX.
Average snow in Austin
Freezing rain, sleet, and/or snow falls on Austin about once every two to three years. Austinites know that when it snows, it’s not likely to be a lot: since 2010, snowfall has only exceeded one inch one time.
The annual snowfall average is ~0.2 inches in ATX, making Austin pretty snow sparse compared to some other Texas cities, like:
- Lubbock: 7 inches
- Dallas: 1.7 inches
- Waco: 0.7 inches
However, Austinites do still get more snow than other nearby towns. Houston, Killeen, and New Braunfels get so little snow, the cities report an annual snowfall of zero inches.
Historic snow in Austin
Historically, there have been only five recorded snow storms that have dumped 6+ inches of snow in ATX: 1937, 1944, 1949, 1966, and (of course) 2021.
Austin’s most substantial snowfall in history happened in 1937, when a storm in November dropped 11 inches over the city.
This sounds like a lot — and it is — but it’s nowhere near record snowfall in Texas’ other major cities:
- Houston, 1895: 20 inches
- San Antonio, 1985: 13 inches
- Dallas, 2010: 12.5 inches
Let’s not forget the largest snowfall in Texas history. In 1929, a smashing 26 inches fell on Hillsboro, just short of two hours’ drive north of Austin.
Looking forward
We appear to have made it through one arctic cold front, Austin, but brace yourselves: another is on the way. Expect temperatures to drop again Thursday night, with highs anticipated to hover in the 40s all weekend.
