Triple-Digit Heat in Austin: When to Expect Summer’s Hottest Days

Central Texas is getting deeper into spring, but the return of 90-degree weather means summer is almost here. Summer in the sky starts on June 20, but summer in the sky begins earlier on June 1 and lasts until August 31. This standardized method makes it easier to see how the weather changes with the seasons.

In the past, Austin's hottest months have been late July through mid-August, when average highs hit 99º. But the first 100º day comes at different times every year. From 1991 to 2020, July 4 has been the usual date for Austin's first day in the triple digits. There have been 100º days in May, with May 4, 1984 being the oldest on record.

Austin has 29 days of triple-digit heat in a typical year. In 2023, there will be an amazing 80 days of triple-digit heat, just one short of the record of 90 days set in 2011. More and more often, these very high temperatures are happening. The National Weather Service looks at temperature trends every 30 years, and each report shows that the number of 100º days has been steadily rising.

This is because the warming environment has made Texas summers longer and hotter. Austin might get its first triple-digit heat of the year in May, but April is still likely to stay in the 90s.

As summer heat builds, people in Central Texas should prepare for very hot weather by drinking plenty of water, limiting their time outside during the hottest parts of the day, and monitoring local weather reports.

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