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23h ago

Houston and Austin Start 2026 With Unseasonable Heat as Brief Weekend Cooldown Looms

Forecasts point to highs in the 70s to 80s, with only a short, modest dip from a Pacific-origin front.

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Braden Bazán, 9, of Houston, makes a snow angel in the Balmoral neighborhood in Atascocita on Jan. 21, 2025. Thanks to the inconsistency of Texas weather, Houston experienced both a rare snowfall in 2025, as well as historically warm days in the spring and fall.
The  National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center expects Texas, and much of the country, to be warmer than normal through mid-January.

Overview

  • Houston is expected to reach the lower 80s on Friday with gusty southwest winds, then slip to the mid-70s this weekend before warming returns early next week.
  • Austin is forecast to hit 86 degrees on Friday, a level that could match the daily record set in 2006, followed by mid-70s over the weekend and a renewed warming trend next week.
  • The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center favors above-normal temperatures across Texas through January, with Austin assigned about a 47% chance of a warmer-than-normal month.
  • Houston ranked second-hottest on record in 2025 with an annual average near 73 degrees, elevated by unusually warm nighttime lows that averaged 63.1 degrees.
  • Houston set records in 2025 with 259 days at or above 80 degrees and 145 days at or above 90 degrees, while Austin’s year ended roughly fifth-warmest with an annual average near 71.9 degrees.