Houstonians woke up to an unusual sight of snowfall on Tuesday, and a graph shows just how rare snowfall is in the Texas city.
Why does it matter?
Houston is not accustomed to freezing temperatures and snow accumulation, which makes the weather event particularly unpleasant. The city’s infrastructure, including roads and electricity networks, is not designed for sustained winter conditions, increasing the risk of traffic accidents and power outages. The 2021 winter storm, which left millions of Texans without power, remains a stark reminder of the challenges Houston faces during extreme cold.
What do you know?
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast 4 to 6 inches of snow in parts of the Houston metro area, a rare event in the region’s climate history.
The graph below shows the city’s snowfall over the past five years, with the most recent 1-inch snowfall occurring in 2021.
The historical average temperature for this time of year in Houston is 53.7 degrees Fahrenheit, but this year’s reading shows a staggering drop of 27.2 degrees Fahrenheit, representing a 50.65 percent drop. The NWS also issued multiple warnings, including a Winter storm warning for snow A sleet with accumulations up to 4 inches, a cold weather warning for wind chills up to 15 degrees F and a severe cold watch for possible wind chills below 10 degrees F in areas receiving heavy snow totals.
How often does it snow in Houston, Texas?
While snow is a rare occurrence in Houston, historical records show that it does happen occasionally. According to NWS data, Houston has recorded snowfall of more than an inch on 11 occasions since official records began in 1920.
The heaviest snowfall occurred on February 14, 1895, when the city recorded a record 20 inches, according to Houston Public Media.
Other notable events include:
- January 22, 1940: 3 inches
- February 12, 1960: 3 inches
- December 10, 2008: 1.4 inches
- February 15, 2021: The latest snowfall, which accompanied a devastating winter storm
Danielle Vilasana/Getty Images
What people say
AccuWeather Meteorologist Bill Digger previously said Newsweek: “While portions of Central Texas west to the Interstate 35 corridor around San Antonio and Austin have seen snowfall over the past 12 hours or so, the most significant accumulation is expected to be in southeast and east-central Texas through Tuesday afternoon.
“This specifically includes the Interstate 10 corridor from Houston east to the Louisiana border, where AccuWeather is predicting 3 to 6 inches of snow. Some of the counties expected to see the heaviest snowfall in this area include Chambers, Galveston, Harris, and Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, and Tyler counties.”
NWS Houston said on X (formerly Twitter): “Rain and snow showers have developed across the area. Temperatures are also quickly dropping below freezing with temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit north of the Houston metro. Roads will become dangerous as temperatures drop, so please only be on the roads If you have to.”
What’s next
The cold weather is expected to continue in Houston, with forecasts calling for temperatures to reach overnight lows of around 19 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures will gradually rise over the next few days, with highs nearing 40°F on Wednesday and approaching 48°F by Thursday. Authorities continue to urge residents to take precautions, including avoiding unnecessary travel and protecting pipes from freezing.
