The 7 Coldest Places in Texas Will Chill You to Your Core

Dalhart

Dalhart was founded in 1901; today, it is a town of 8,474 as of 2023 and is in the northwestern panhandle area of the state at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 54, 385, and 87. The closest town is Channing, TX. It is an agricultural town perched 3,983 feet above sea level. Temperatures here vary from 22 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year; however, it rarely gets below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter. November through February, temperatures average daily highs below 57 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month with average lows of 23 degrees Fahrenheit and highs of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. March through November are rainy months, and during August, an average of 2.2 inches falls. November through March see snowfall, specifically in December when snow averages 2 inches.

Stratford

Located on the northern High Plains region at the crossroads of U.S. Highways 287 and 54, the town of Stratford was settled in 1885. The closest city is Cactus, TX, and the elevation here is 3,694 feet above sea level. Agriculture is the most common industry. Temperatures here vary from 24 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit and are seldom below 11 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months. November through February experience average highs of below 57 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month, with an average low of 25 and highs of 49 degrees Fahrenheit. March through November see rain, specifically in June when the average rainfall is 2.2 inches. November to April sees snowfall, with December being the snowiest month, averaging 2.2 inches.

Pampa

Located in the Texas Panhandle, oil and gas is the largest industry in Pampa. Cattle ranching is also big business here. The population is 16,867 as of 2020, and the closest city is Miami, TX, with Amarillo just 54 miles to the southwest. The elevation here is 3,225 feet above sea level. Temperatures vary throughout the year from 25 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely drop below 12 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months. November through February average highs of below 57 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month, averaging a low of 26 and a high of 49 degrees Fahrenheit. February through November are rainy months, June sees the heaviest rainfall with an average of 2.7 inches. November through March is the snow season, specifically January, when snowfall averages 2.8 inches.

Amarillo

Located in the Texas Panhandle in the northern region, Amarillo has an elevation of 3,662 feet above sea level. The Yellow Rose of Texas, as it is known, averages a temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit, but during the winter months, the average is in the 40s. This is the coldest big city in Texas, with the coldest temperature recorded in 1986 at -12. Extreme and rapid changes in the temperatures are not uncommon during fall and winter months when cold fronts from Rocky Mountain and Plains states carry across the state. Drops of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit in 12 hours are not uncommon. Even more, drops of 40 degrees Fahrenheit within a few minutes have occurred. Ice storms are uncommon, however freezing drizzle and fog can leave light ice coatings.

Wind speeds of 50 miles per hour occur annually and are mostly common in the winter and spring months. Strong cold fronts can bring northerly winds of 40 miles per hour or higher during winter. These winds often blow in the infamous tumbleweed! November through February average daily temperatures below 58 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month, with an average low of 26 degrees Fahrenheit and a high of 51 degrees Fahrenheit. From February through November, it rains, with June being the rainiest month, averaging 2.5 inches. November through March see snowfall, specifically in January when snow averages 2.7 inches.

Tulia

Tulia is 46 miles south of Amarillo and north of Plainview in the High Plains region of the Texas Panhandle. They have a population of 4,474 who reside at 3,484 feet above sea level. The major industry here is agriculture. Temperatures vary from 27 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit; however, they rarely drop below 16 degrees Fahrenheit. November through February experience daily average highs below 59 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month when the average low is 27, and the high is 52 degrees Fahrenheit. February through November are their rainy months; June has the most rain, averaging 2.7 inches. During November through February, snow falls, with January seeing the most snow and averaging 2 inches. It is windiest from January through June; specifically, April is the windiest month, with an average wind speed of 12 miles per hour.

Plainview

With an elevation of 3,440 feet above sea level, Plainview is located in the High Plains between Amarillo and Lubbock. The population is 19,370 as of 2023. Temperatures here vary from 27 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year and are hardly ever below 16 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. November through February are their coldest months, January being the coldest with an average low of 27 and a high of 53 degrees Fahrenheit. During February through December, it rains with June being the rainiest averaging 2.6 inches. November through February see snowfall specifically in December when it averages one inch.

Levelland

This town is on the Llano Estacado at the southern end of the Western High Plains. It is 30 miles west of Lubbock at 3,530 feet above sea level. This area was once home to the Comanche Indians. Major industries here include petroleum production and cotton farming. The population in 2023 is 12,493. This small town was the site of the 1957 UFO sightings, which gained national attention.

Annual temperatures vary here from 29 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit and are seldom below 19 degrees Fahrenheit during winter months. November through February sees an average high of below 62 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month with an average low of 29 and a high of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. During February through December, the area experiences rain with most falling in June and averaging 2 inches. November through February are snowy months specifically December which averages 1.9 inches.