Texas Weather Records   

Event

 Record

  Location    Date 
Temperature (F)        
Coldest      -23   Tulia (40 miles S of Amarillo)       Feb. 12, 1899
      Seminole (65 miles SW of Lubbock) Feb. 8, 1933
Hottest 120   Seymour (180 miles NW of Dallas) Aug. 12, 1936
      Monahans (45 miles SW of Midland) Jun. 28, 1994
Warmest year statewide 68.6     1921
Coldest year statewide 63.2     1976
         
Highest monthly average 102.4   Presidio (210 miles SE of El Paso) June 1962
Lowest monthly average 19.4   Dalhart (60 miles NW of Amarillo) January 1959
         
Highest annual average 74.1   McAllen (60 mi NW of Brownsville) 1988
Lowest annual average 56.1   Dalhart (60 miles NW of Amarillo) 1959
         
Rainfall (inches)        
Greatest in a 24-hour period 29.05   Albany (105 miles W of Ft. Worth) Aug. 4, 1978
Greatest in one month 35.70   Alvin (20 miles SE of Houston) July 1979
Greatest in one year 109.38   Clarksville (105 miles NE of Dallas) 1873
Least in one year 1.64   Presidio (210 SE of El Paso) 1956
         
Snowfall (inches)        
Greatest in a 24-hour period 24.0   Plainview (45 miles N of Lubbock) Feb.3-5, 1956
Greatest maximum depth 33.0   Hale Center (35 mi N of Lubbock) Feb. 4, 1956
      Vega (25 miles w of Amarillo) Feb. 4, 1956
Greatest in a single storm 61.0   Vega Feb. 1-8, 1956
Greatest in one month 61.0   Vega Feb. 1956
Greatest in one season 65.0   Romero 1923-24
         
Wind (miles per hour)        
Highest sustained speed SE 145 Hurricane Carla Matagorda (70 mi SW of Houston) Sep. 11, 1961
  NE 145 Hurricane Carla Port Lavaca (70 mi NE of C. Christi) Sep. 11, 1961
Highest peak gust SW 180 Hurricane Celia Aransas Pass (20 m E of C. Christi) Aug. 3, 1970
         
Hazardous Weather        
Longest and worst drought       1950-1956
Worst heat wave       1980
Most damage from 1 tornado 442M   Wichita Falls (120 mi NW of Dallas) April 10, 1979
Most tornadoes in 1 year 232     1967
Most tornadoes in 1 month 124     Sep. 1967
Most damage from 1 hailstorm 1.2B **U.S. record Parker, Tarrant counties May 5, 1995
Deadliest hurricane 6,000-8,000   Galveston Sep. 8, 1900
Most damaging hurricane 3.0 Billion   Hurricane Alicia Aug. 18, 1983
         

Additional interesting Texas weather facts

  • The U.S. record for the fastest tornado winds occurred in Wichita Falls on April, 2 1958 with a wind speed of 258 mph.  
  • Amarillo is the 3rd windiest city in the United States with an annual average wind speed of 13.5 mph
  • El Paso is the sunniest Texas city, with 83% annual sunshine days while Houston is the least sunny at 57%. 
  • Port Arthur experiences the most thunderstorm days with 67 while Brownsville encounters only 26 days. 

Cities Business Reference
Sports Images Trivia