We’ll likely dip into the 30s around San Antonio for the first time this season this week, but temps are expected to stay above freezing in San Antonio, so no need to protect plants or cover older pipes.
Still, you may be wondering when we typically see temperatures dip below freezing around South Central Texas:
San Antonio’s first freeze
This first freeze of a winter season has a wide range for San Antonio but typically falls anytime from mid-November through mid-December. However, it can still happen as late as January.
| WINTER SEASON | DATE | TEMP |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | Dec. 11 | 31° |
| 2022-2023 | Dec. 22 | 19° |
| 2021-2022 | Jan. 2 | 27° |
| 2020-2021 | Dec. 1 | 28° |
| 2019-2020 | Nov. 1 | 32° |
| 2018-2019 | Nov. 13 | 28° |
| 2017-2018 | Dec. 7 | 32° |
| 2016-2017 | Dec. 18 | 29° |
| 2015-2016 | Jan. 23 | 30° |
| 2014-2015 | Nov. 17 | 31° |
If you’re looking for a specific date, the average first freeze for the Alamo City is Nov. 30.
More rural neighborhoods will likely reach freezing a little earlier than the official temperature site of San Antonio International Airport, and areas at higher elevations like Leon Springs, Bulverde, and Helotes typically see freezing from Nov. 7 to Nov. 13.
Cities like Seguin, Pleasanton, and Floresville see a first freeze between Nov. 21 and Nov. 28.
Hill Country first freeze
As of this writing in mid-November, folks in the Hill Country have yet to see a freeze this season. This is a bit behind schedule, as the average first freeze for areas like Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Leakey and Bandera occurs between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6.
Folks around Boerne and Canyon Lake dip to 32° typically by Nov. 7 to Nov. 13.
Hondo and Uvalde’s average fist freeze typically falls between Nov. 14 to Nov. 20.
Rio Grande first freeze
Border towns like Del Rio and Eagle Pass are typically some of the spots to hit freezing.
January 29, 1951, to 1 p.m. February 2, 1951, the temperature stayed below freezing at San Antonio International Airport. The latest, between Nov. 28 to Dec. 4.
Freeze records for San Antonio
Earliest first freeze
The earliest freeze of the cooler months in San Antonio occurred on October 30, 1917.
Latest first freeze
The latest freeze of the cooler months in San Antonio occurred during the winter of 1931-1932 on March 8, 1932.
Winters with the fewest freeze days
The winters of 2015-16, 1930-31, 1902-03, and 1888-89 only had 4 days of freezing temperatures.
Winter with the most freeze days
The winter of 1966-67 had 40 days when the thermometer reached 32°
Longest time below freezing
From midnight on Jan. 29, 1951, to 1 p.m. on Feb. 2, 1951, the temperature stayed below freezing at San Antonio International Airport. That’s 4 days and 13 hrs below freezing!
We came close to this record during the winter storm of 2021 when temperatures stayed below 32° for 4 days and 11 hrs from 8 p.m. Feb. 12 to 7 a.m. Feb. 17.