Houston - Coldest Decades

The coldest decades on record are ranked here for Houston, Texas. The lists include decades when Houston had the lowest average temperatures, the fewest hot days and the most cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at the William P. Hobby Airport near downtown Houston and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Houston had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Coolest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Houston
High °F Decade High °C
Lowest 78.1 1980s 25.6
Runner-up 78.7 1970s 25.9

Coldest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Houston
Low °F Decade Low °C
Lowest 59.7 1970s 15.4
Runner-up 59.8 1960s 15.4

Fewest Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Houston had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 281 1980s, 1960s
Runner-up 284 1990s

Fewest Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Houston had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 85 1980s
Runner-up 92 1970s

Most Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Houston had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Highest 13 1970s
Runner-up 12 1960s
References

Current Results. 2020. Houston TX Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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