Austin's Weather

Locals say that south-central Texas has only two seasons: winter and summer. For the sake of simplicity, we'll do like the locals and lump fall and spring in with summer since they're so short.

When to Visit Austin

The best time to come to Austin, San Antonio, and the Hill Country is during this long summer season, which starts in March and wraps up by the end October. Although June, July, and August are hellishly hot these are the peak months for tourism. Central Texas is overflowing with people. The warm, laid-back climate and the uncanny amount of festivals and music events draw thousands to the area from all over the country. Everyone is kept alive during the summer months by drinking lots of water and by air-conditioning. Anywhere you go indoors the air is a cool 78°F, and outdoors there are many swimming holes, lakes, rivers, and pools to keep cool in.

Floods, Lightning & Tornadoes

The three biggest dangers in Central Texas are flash flooding, lightning, and tornadoes--the biggest being flash flooding. People refer to the region as "Flash Flood alley" because every year there's an immense amount of water that gets dumped here. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and the terrain of the Hill Country being mostly rock under a thin layer of soil, make for excellent conditions for water to pour and collect. Flash flood watches and flash flood warnings are very common, especially in the spring. Most of Austin's infrastructure was designed specifically to avoid flooding danger. For example, the city has special five-foot storm drains everywhere as well as many massive culverts strategically placed throughout town. Lake Travis, the second-largest lake in the area, was designed as a flood control lake. When all the regional rivers such as Llano River, Colorado River, and Pedernales River boil over with water they all dump it right into Lake Travis. The second-biggest danger is lightning, and the third is tornadoes. When a lightning storm is overhead, go indoors. Twisters are far down on the list of things to be paranoid about because they don't normally pass through the region with maintained force. The time to watch out for them is during and after a coastal hurricane.

Seasonal Allergies

Besides the long summer heat the only other thing to keep in mind when planning to visit south-central Texas is allergies. According to a national survey Austin is the fourth-worst place in the United States for allergies. The Hill Country is rife with wildflowers and trees that come to life in the spring. Sure, it's beautiful, but for the person who suffers from seasonal allergies, it can be hard to enjoy. If you plan to visit during these months, be prepared to buy an antihistamine. The peak allergy times are December-January (mountain cedar), March-April (oak), and September-October (ragweed). Adding to the irritation is a wide variety of wildflowers and grasses. For day-by-day allergy levels and forecast information, check out the KVUE Allergy Forecast.