With average high temperatures in June of 92.3°F, a Texas summer always promises to be long, humid, and scorching. Will this year be a repeat of 2023, when some areas of the Lone Star State experienced their hottest summers ever? Time will tell. In the meantime, grab a tall glass of ice water and take a look back at the hottest days in Texas history ever recorded.
What are the average Texas temperatures in summer?
When does summer start in Texas? While June clocks in around 92°F, average Texas temperatures rise to nearly 95°F in July and August. But some cities have it harder than others. For example, the average July high in Dallas is nearly 97°F — and Laredo residents can expect average July temperatures of 100.6°F! Meanwhile, average July temperatures in Galveston fall just shy of 90°F. But that’s still more than 10 degrees higher than the July highs experienced in several New England states.
Average highs in July (based on data from 1991-2020) in some major Texas cities include:
Austin: 95.9°F
College Station: 95.6°F
Corpus Christi: 93.7°F
Dallas: 96.6°F
El Paso: 96.1°F
Houston: 92.9°F
Lubbock: 93.7°F
San Antonio: 95.5°F
Waco: 96.9°F
What was the hottest day ever in Texas?
Now that we have an idea about average Texas temperatures in summer, let’s take a look at the Texas heat records in July in these same cities:
Austin: 109°F
College Station: 111°F
Corpus Christi: 103°F
Dallas: 112°F
El Paso: 112°F
Houston: 104°F
Lubbock: 111°F
San Antonio: 108°F
Waco: 114°F
The hottest day ever in Texas was 120°F, and it actually happened twice. The first time occurred in Seymour (northwest of Dallas) on August 12, 1936. The second occurrence was in Monahans (near Odessa) on June 28, 1994.
As for some of the major cities in the state, the temperature in Austin, Texas, reached a record-high of 112°F occurred on September 5, 2000, and again on August 28, 2011 at Camp Mabry. Not to be outdone, the record high in Dallas of 113°F, was reached on both June 26 and June 27 of 1980. And the temperature in Houston, Texas, set a record of 109°F hit on September 4, 2000, and again on August 27, 2011.
While these temperatures may make you want to take an extended summer vacation to Siberia, the highest recorded temperature didn’t even occur in Texas. That honor belongs to California’s Death Valley, which reached a sweltering 134°F in 1913!
How many record highs in Texas have been broken since 2013?
Between 2013 and 2023, more than 1,600 days saw a Texas heat record matched or broken at one of the state’s 22 weather stations.
What was the hottest year ever in Texas?
To date, 2023 was the hottest year on record for Texas at 68.1°F, based on average temperatures throughout the year. The state saw a 0.3-degree jump from the previous record in 2012.
This continues a broader trend in warming, with every year since 2000 recording warmer Texas temperatures than the 20th century average.
Conclusion
It’s important to understand weather trends affecting Texas, the nation, and the planet. Even small increases of record heat in Texas can impact things like ecosystems, health, the electricity grid, and so much more. And now that you know that the average Texas temperature is on the rise, you can take action by conserving electricity in your home, learning more about renewable energy, and finding the best electricity plan for your lifestyle and usage habits.