Texas is a large, hot desert state that boasts an area of 268,597 square miles and a population of 29 million people.
It’s 60% larger than California. The only state larger than Texas is Alaska, which is about two times the size.
We know it snows in Alaska, but what about Texas?
You may be surprised at the answer.
Does It Snow In Texas?
It does snow in Texas.
You’ll rarely see a blizzard, but you could technically experience snow in Texas.
When there is a blizzard, it can get strange, and sometimes it happens in the spring!
Here’s a little historical Texas trivia.
There were five winter storms starting from March 22–25 1957 that dropped 10 inches in the Texas Panhandle.
Unfortunately, the poor cattle in the area weren’t able to survive it.
The snowplows were unable to deal with it and were stranded in place in the streets, and no one could travel.
This was unprecedented and unexpected by the residents.
The next big snowstorm was in San Antonio in 1985, close to 30 years after the last one in the late 50s.
It surpassed that previous storm and was the worst one in 100 years.
People were instructed by the city government to stay home and keep their businesses closed until the snow was well melted.
The next largest was in 1960 in Houston Texas.
A total of 4.4 inches of snow were left on the ground.
The only storm that trumped them all was way back in 1895, that dropped 20 inches in February on—you guessed it—Valentine’s Day.
In recent Texas winter history, there were substantial snowfalls in 2015 and 2017.
It’s happening slightly more often, but not to a degree that New York City would expect to experience snow.
The 2015 storm had eight inches and was labeled the worst storm ever experienced by the state in terms of destruction.
Where Is the Most And Least Snowfall In Texas?
The north and west regions of the state of Texas have lower temperatures than other regions, so that’s where the bulk of the snowfall happens in the state.
The southern and central regions get snowfall, but it is not too common.
The southeastern region gets sporadic amounts of snow that can and has toggled between two inches and 30 inches.
Where Can I Go To See Snow In Texas?
When it snows in Texas, you’ll want to make a special event of it.
It falls so rarely and sporadically that, for many who don’t live in the state or near one of the snowfall areas, witnessing it can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The panhandle and the west end of the state are the areas that see most of the snowfall.
You may be able to catch some in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area if you watch the weather quite closely.
However, the best places to participate in fun snowfall would be at the highest elevations.
Guadeloupe National Park and Amarillo, Texas are the places that are best suited to do this.
The central area of Texas rarely sees snow, and on the coast, there’s even a smaller chance.
However, if you are lucky enough to catch it, there may be a good snowfall on the east Texas coast which is fabulous to see once every ten years.
Keep in mind, it’s not guaranteed.
Anything other than dry heat, the occasional hurricane, and dry dust storms are rare.
Texas weather is fickle.
If you’re really in love with snow and you don’t want to wait around for Texas to exhibit a change, then go to neighboring New Mexico or Colorado.
If you’re more in love with Texas and want to see all you can there, then there are a few best places to see snow in Texas.
1. Amarillo
Amarillo is one of the best and prettiest places to see snow in Texas.
It receives 18 inches of snow annually.
You can catch a lot of it in January, but if you watch the weather trends, you can also see it in October and possibly April.
Once it starts coming in from the Rocky Mountains, it will dump quickly on Amarillo.
How long it stays around will depend on how quickly the weather returns to its normal warmth.
Palo Duro State Park, which is affectionately called the Grand Canyon of Texas, is one of the best places to watch the rare Texas snow.
2. Lubbock
The birthplace of musician Buddy Holly gets a good snow dump every once and a while.
This is one of those fickle places we’ve talked about.
You can go through an entire winter with nary a snowflake, and then in another year, you could get around eight inches.
October is the earliest you might see snow in Lubbock, but December, January, and February are the best months to catch it when it happens.
3. El Paso
El Paso can receive a fair amount of snow.
Again, if you are lucky enough to catch it when it happens, then enjoy it.
If you are looking for a picturesque area with snow-draped mountains, then El Paso is the place to see snow.
Franklin Martin State Park is a great place to hike and go a bit higher into the mountain chain to experience the rare Texas snow.
You’ll get less than four inches and the mountains hold the snow for a longer time due to the temperature change in the elevation.
You have the chance to camp at this park to take advantage of the snow-capped mountains in a relaxed winter vacation atmosphere.
4. Guadeloupe And Big Bend National Parks
These are by far the best places to enjoy the snow in this part of Texas.
They offer several choices of landscape that may suit you.
The four highest peaks are in this area, and mountains will give you the best chance for guaranteed snowfall.
5. Dallas/Ft. Worth
The Dallas/Ft. Worth area is one and the same for a lot of reasons including weather.
Getting snowfall in this area is a bit tricky.
Rushing over to Dallas to see snowfall is probably not going to work on the fly.
The temperature in Dallas is fickle and can drop from its usual 60 degrees in the winter to a lot colder in minutes.
January, February, and March are the only times you may see snow if you’re lucky.
We wouldn’t call Dallas the best place to go to see snow.
What Is the Texas Snow Party?
The Texas snow party is something special that happens during the winter in parts of Texas that may not experience snow, which is most of the state.
If you can’t travel or aren’t that bothered about hunting down the cold stuff, a company can bring it to you.
Yes, you can drive to a local spot to see and play in the snow, well, not real snow, but a great likeness.
You can actually rent some snow with a hill for tubing.
You can rent this service for any occasion like birthdays or just to bring a little winter home.
Some people have used the Texas snow party for winter wonderland weddings (yes, it’s a thing).
Quinceañeras and other celebrations are popular in Texas, and the Texas snow party is used all year round for all of them.
What’s it like?
A snow machine is brought to the location of choice, and snow is blown into the air and collects on the ground.
Artificial hills are brought in and placed around the outdoor area and the participants can slide down them.
This service runs roughly between $900 for 4,000 pounds to $2,600 for 20,000 pounds of snow, and there are rates in between as well.
It’s not a cheap endeavor. If you’re going to do this, you should probably do it for a large gathering.
It’s not really for the afternoon with the kids.
What Can I Do And See In Texas Cities That Get Snow?
Texas doesn’t see snow very often, so if you’re going to drive a while to see it, you may want to do something in the places we mentioned will get snow occasionally.
Here are some attractions you may be interested in seeing while you wait for the snow to fall—if it does.
If it doesn’t, then at least you got a staycation for it.
In Amarillo, the Cadillac Ranch is a crazy, artsy display of actual Cadillacs painted in wild colors and stuck headfirst into the desert sand.
The fun part is you get to grab one of the cans of spray paint left all over the area and make your own graffiti!
If Lubbock is your cup of tea, and you love Rock n Roll history and music, then this is the place for you.
There are lots of live music venues to choose from.
Once you’re done playing in the Texas snow, you can listen to music all night and visit the Buddy Holly Center to learn more about the musician’s life.
There are a lot of museums that feature aviation, agricultural themes, and more.
There is a science center and Prairie Dog Town, which is great for kids.
In El Paso, they have a Museum of Art, and Magoffin Home State Historic Site is another interesting attraction.
In Guadeloupe National Park, there’s Dog Canyon Campground which now boasts more shelters as ample protection for the winds of winter.
Take advantage of Ross Maxwell’s Science Drive in Big Bend National Park.
Throughout the entire winter, you can see the snow on the mountain peaks of the Chisos Mountains.
If you love photography, you’ll love this place.
There are many opportunities to hike when the snow is not heavy and to take unusual and beautiful shots of the natural world around you.
For hikers, there’s a tireless 150 miles of hiking trails.
This means you’ll make many trips to see a variety of landscapes before completing the circuit—if you ever do.
It could be your annual winter challenge to take on another route.
If you want to try snow spotting in Dallas, which is largely hit or miss, you’re in the right place for a variety of attractions from skyscrapers to historical architecture with modern meeting the past.
Dallas boasts a combination of modernity and antiquity.
With many museums, eateries with a variety of cuisine, bars, craft beer companies, some of the best BBQ in the country, and shows, there’s no way you could get bored.
In conclusion, the great state of Texas gets snow.
Yes, it does, but the fact of the matter is, you probably will never actually see it or really get to enjoy it in the traditional way.
You’ll be lucky to pack one medium-sized snowball.
However, Texas offers a lot more to see and do in a nearly infinite number of ways.
Regardless of what you’re into, if you miss the scheduled snow of the day, you can still take in a show, go to a beach on the coast, or go hiking in one of the beautiful national parks.
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