Texas Climate
Top 5 Cities: Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso
This month in numbers
Texas experienced its warmest March on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 19.33°C, an anomaly of +5.7°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the 1st warmest March for maximum temperatures, reaching 27.44°C, an anomaly of +6.6°C. Looking at the broader picture, the January–March 2026 period was the 2nd warmest on record for average temperatures at 14.15°C, and the warmest on record for maximum temperatures at 22.13°C. Texas ranked as the 10th warmest of 234 regions globally for its 1-month temperature anomaly, and 14th warmest for its 3-month anomaly, highlighting a significant warming trend across the US.
What changed
The past three months, January to March 2026, have been exceptionally warm and dry for Texas. This trend is part of a larger pattern, as the state experienced one of its warmest and driest winters on record. This contrasts with the national picture for January and February, which saw cooler average temperatures across the contiguous United States. The persistent warmth and dryness have led to intensifying drought conditions across much of the state.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in Texas is largely driven by a combination of factors, including the broader trend of human-induced climate change. The region experienced a historic heatwave in March, with numerous cities shattering monthly temperature records. This early-season heat would have been "virtually impossible without human-induced climate change," according to climate scientists. Additionally, the current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong probability of transitioning to El Niño by May–July 2026, which typically brings wetter and cooler conditions to the Southeast USA during winter, but its influence is currently muted. However, the ongoing due to prolonged drought conditions further exacerbates the heat, as dry soils cannot cool themselves through evaporation. Texas also experienced several extreme weather events, including a significant winter storm in late January that brought freezing temperatures, snow, and ice, causing power outages and flight disruptions. In March, severe thunderstorms brought large hail to Central and South Texas, and flash flooding to the Upper Rio Grande Valley.
Looking ahead
The National Weather Service Central Region Climate Outlook indicates that a warm and dry pattern is favoured for April through June 2026 across much of the Plains, including North Texas, with above-normal temperatures expected to persist.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Texas
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Texas changing?
Texas is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Texas come from?
Climate data for Texas comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Texas climate data cover?
The Texas climate profile covers Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and surrounding areas. Wind energy giant, grid stress and extreme heat
How often is the Texas climate update refreshed?
The Texas climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.