Famed for its huge expanses and varied climates, Texas offers a cornucopia of weather phenomena during the winter months. The state lies in several different climatic zones, which means winter weather can vary greatly from one part of Texas to another. Although the overall winter season lasts from December to February, the kinds of temperatures and amounts of precipitation seen during this three-month period can be very different, depending on the topography of a given area and its distance from the Gulf of Mexico or the state's westward reach toward the Rocky Mountains.

The winters are often mild across South Texas; however, the precise meteorological conditions in any location can be influenced by topography, proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, or urban development. In places like San Antonio and Corpus Christi, average winter temperatures are typically in the mid-40s to mid-60s Fahrenheit, with the possibility of "cool fronts" doing more than just teasing the term "chill." From December to February, neither rainfall nor severe weather is unusual, with the heaviest precipitation generally falling during the late winter and spring. Consequently, snow is almost unheard of in these regions.

When you go north to Austin and Dallas, you get a more pronounced winter. The average temperature for these two cities in winter ranges from the low 30s to the mid-50s Fahrenheit (around 0 to 15 degrees Celsius). You might think that would keep old man winter at bay. But snow isn't rare. It's also possible to get an ice storm, particularly in January and February. That puts us at risk for dangerous driving conditions and power outages. Our mix of predominately sunny winter days with an odd nighttime chill also makes us susceptible to a few winter rains and cold fronts that can dip our average temperature significantly.

The northernmost areas of Texas, including the Panhandle, can have brutal winter weather. They can see some of the coldest temperatures that any part of Texas can muster, often falling into the 20s Fahrenheit (-6 to -1 degrees Celsius). Amarillo and Lubbock not only have temperatures that can take a nosedive but also a good amount of snowfall. Total accumulations can reach several inches when conditions are right. Not every winter in the Panhandle guarantees strong storms or significant snowfall, but when you consider how often some of these areas can see actual snow, you can understand why northerners and even folks in the Panhandle may have some residual frostiness in their demeanor.

Although winter weather can differ greatly from one location to another across Texas, they all share the possibility of severe weather that can strike at any time. This is especially true for the northern and central parts of the state, which are most susceptible to winter storms that bring freezing rain, sleet, and snow—travel-disrupting, power outage-causing, and public safety-endangering events that are simply a part of life during the cold months for folks in those areas.

To conclude, winter may bring an almost spring-like mildness to the southern regions of Texas, while the northern counties endure a winter much closer to the continental type. This diversity brings a wide range of weather—from cold rains to nearly continuous high pressure to a couple of weeks in which the sun hardly shines. Some parts of the state see an appreciable amount of winter precipitation, even if it's mainly rain. Other areas see snow. All told, there just isn't a single Texas winter. And knowing this is half the battle when it comes to preparing for the season.