As we look ahead to 2026, Houston weather is once again poised to keep residents on their toes.
While it’s impossible to know exactly what 2026 will bring — whether prolonged heat, flooding rains or hurricane threats — long-term climate data offers a clear sense of when the region’s most extreme weather is most likely.
When does Houston see its first 90-degree high?
Houston usually reaches 90 degrees for the first time around Memorial Day, based on the city’s 30-year climate average. In the past 10 years, the first 90-degree day has arrived as early as March 13, 2025, and as late as June 9, 2016. In that same 10-year period, that milestone has arrived in April four times and in May three times.
When does Houston typically reach 100 degrees?
Houston typically records its first 100-degree day on July 19, based on long-term climate averages. The earliest triple-digit temperature on record occurred on June 2, 2011 — a year that produced 46 days of 100-degree heat, one more than during the summer of 2023. July and August are Houston’s hottest months, on average, although triple-digit temps have lingered as late as Sept. 27 (2005).
When is Houston the rainiest?
In a given year, Houston records about 50 inches of rain. Average monthly rainfall totals exceed 3 inches in every month except February, which averages just under that mark. The wettest months generally fall between May and October, though recent years — including fall 2025 — have shown how quickly rainfall patterns can deviate from average. While Houston doesn’t have a true rainy season, the warmer months tend to bring the heaviest rainfall from thunderstorms and tropical systems.
When is Houston most likely to be hit by a hurricane?
The Atlantic hurricane season begins in just over five months on June 1. August and September are the most likely months for a hurricane, with 25 making landfall within about 70 miles of the upper Texas Gulf Coast during those two months alone. Still, we can point to examples of hurricanes making landfall outside that window, including Beryl in July 2024 and Alicia — the last major hurricane to directly affect Southeast Texas — in October 1983.
When is severe weather season in Houston?
Severe weather can strike in any month in Southeast Texas, but the region has two distinct “seasons” when the risk is highest. Spring often brings the greatest threat of large hail and damaging wind gusts, including events like the powerful derecho that swept across downtown Houston in May 2024. After a hot, humid summer, a secondary peak in severe weather arrives in the fall, when the tornado risk increases. November averages the highest number of tornadoes in Southeast Texas, based on data from 1992 to 2019.
Whatever the new year brings, bookmak and visit houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather/ to help you make sense of Houston’s often unpredictable weather…