February outlook released: Here's how our 'snowiest' month looks

AUSTIN (KXAN) - We are now more than halfway through meteorological winter and the forecast for our final month of the season was released on Thursday.

Meteorological winter started warmer and drier than normal in December and that trend has continued into January, as is typical with a La Niña winter in Texas.

Now, we look to February and the forecast is a little less clear cut.

The Climate Prediction Center expects near normal temperatures for most of Central Texas with areas southeast of Austin favoring warmer than normal temperatures in February.

As far as rainfall? CPC leans toward drier than normal weather for most of the KXAN viewing area with our northern counties closer to normal.

In this scenario, we're on the cusp of normal for both rain and temperatures, so it's a little tough to make any clear distinctions on February ahead, but it seems safe to say we won't be nearly as warm as we started January.

What's normal in February?

January is our coldest month, so typically in February temperatures gradually rise through the month. It's our driest month of the year, but also our "snowiest" month as it's the only month of the year with an "average" snowfall in Austin. Now, February doesn't average much snow (see below), but it does average some.

• Average High: 66.5
  • Feb. 1 Average High: 64
  • Feb. 28 Average High: 69
• Average Low: 45.8
  • Feb. 1 Average Low: 43
  • Feb. 28 Average Low: 49
• Average Rain: 1.89″ (Driest month)
• Average Snow: 0.2″ (Snowiest month)

In Depth: Recent snows in February

It has snowed more than a trace of snow in February in 19 years out of the 102 years of snowfall record, roughly every 5.4 years. We have 124 years of record for Camp Mabry, but 22 of those years are missing snowfall data.

Any snow at all? We've had a trace or more of snow in 50 Februarys out of 102 years of data, or once every other year.

Here's how much it snowed in recent Februarys:

• February 2022: 0.1"
• February 2021: 6.4"
• February 2020: Trace
• February 2019: Trace
• February 2018: Trace
• February 2017: None
• February 2016: None
• February 2015: Trace
• February 2014: None
• February 2013: None
• February 2012: Trace
• February 2011: 0.9"
• February 2010: 0.6"

In fact, of the 19 years in Austin record with more than a "trace" of snowfall measured, 6 have been since the year 2000, roughly a third.