By Robert Macias
Austin Expert, about.com
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Austin is a welcoming city year-round, but you’re more likely to have
a fun time if you factor the weather and major events into your
planning. In general, spring and early fall are the best times to visit
Austin.
October
The long, hot summer usually releases its grip on Austin in early October. That’s why the Austin City Limits Music Festival is
typically scheduled on the first two weekends of October. Unlike SXSW,
ACL doesn’t have a huge impact on the entire city. It does increase the
traffic around Zilker Park, and city buses are a little more crowded.
The Austin Film Festival, in late October, has a slightly larger footprint, holding events in several locations, but most of them are in downtown. The Formula 1 Grand Prix
is also held in October. Though the race itself occurs in southeast
Austin, the downtown area is also a hub of activity during the weekend
of the race. Daytime highs in October are generally in the 80s
Fahrenheit, and rain is infrequent.
Whether or not you’re participating in these big events, October is the best overall time to visit Austin.
March
Austin’s
second-best weather month is March, although it can be a little
unpredictable. The typical high temperature is a near-perfect 72 degrees
F, but colder temperatures occasionally linger into March. Torrential
spring rains also fire up in March from time to time. It’s a
pack-for-everything kind of month. The South by Southwest Music Festival
occurs in March, and it truly affects the entire city. The most obvious
impact is downtown, but there are concerts and other ancillary events
in every part of the city. Some locals actually leave town during SXSW
to avoid the traffic and other chaos that happens during the festival.
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April
is another near-perfect weather month, with highs in the low 80s. There
is an increasing risk of heavy rain in April, and an extremely high
risk of misery if you’re an allergy sufferer.
As trees, grasses and flowering plants spring back to life, the air is
chock full of pollen. At times, the oak pollen is so thick that it
covers cars with a yellow, powdery film. For non-allergy sufferers, this
is a glorious time to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center or take a drive through the hill country to see wildflowers. You may even want to take a side trip to enjoy all the scenic drives the hill country has to offer.
May
The temperatures begin to rise a little more in May, with daily highs in the high 80s and low 90s. Flash flooding in May
can be life threatening and occur with little warning. In central
Austin, the area around Lamar and 9th Street is the spot that is most
prone to street flooding, due to its proximity to Shoal Creek. When it’s
not raining, however, May is an ideal time to go for a swim in Barton
Springs or enjoy many of Austin’s other outdoor attractions.
