Does the Texas summer have you in need of an escape? If you can’t bear the thought of parting with the Lone Star State, there are still a few options for cities and towns that have slightly milder summers.
It might not surprise you that Texas doesn’t log many cities that are all that cool. In fact, NOAA data compiled by Stacker identified the coldest cities in all 50 states and found that Texas doesn’t even crack the top 150 coldest cities in America. Of the 266 studied, 171 have a colder average temperature.
Nevertheless, with an annual high of 71 degrees Fahrenheit, the Amarillo area can be far more temperate than other parts of Texas. Here are a few other cities that can keep their cool.
- Dalhart — Annual high: 69, annual low: 37
- Hartley — Annual high: 69, annual low: 40
- Dimmitt — Annual high: 70, annual low: 40
- Dumas — Annual high: 70, annual low: 42
- Perryton, Stratford — Annual high: 70, annual low: 40
All of these cities are in the Panhandle area of Texas. Of the more southerly located areas which U.S. Climate Data has listed, (though these are still in the Panhandle) are Muleshoe and Dimmitt.
“Amarillo is undoubtedly the coldest (big) city in Texas. The coldest temperature on record is -12 back in 1986. However, just two years ago we came close to tying this dubious record with a low of -11 on Feb. 15, 2021,” said KAMR chief meteorologist John Harris.
Harris said the distinction of overall “coldest city in Texas” probably goes to Dalhart, located roughly 80 miles northwest of Amarillo. On Jan. 4, 1959 the town recorded a low temperature of -21 degrees.
It’s during the summer months, typically, when these plumes of dust (which is technically a soil mineral), travel thousands of miles on easterly winds from Africa across the Atlantic — bringing the grit to the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern U.S. Plumes can sometimes be a mile high, Yeomans says.
You’ll usually know when a plume’s blown in due to the signature haziness it adds to skies. With the dust in the air, it can spell some trouble for sinus and allergy sufferers — especially those with conditions like asthma.
Allergist Dr. Thomas Leath, of Allergy Partners of Austin, told KXAN News he sees an uptick in patients whenever the African dust arrives.
“If they see the air quality is poor because of African dust, maybe spend a little less time outside, maybe not exercise outside. If they do go out and do those things, they’ll probably want to come home and shower and do a sinus rinse to rinse some of that dust out of their nose and sinuses.”
Yeomans points out that it’s important to remember that Saharan dust is an irritant, not an allergen. So, while it can worsen allergic symptoms, you won’t have a new allergy to worry about.
