What To Wear To Austin In The Winter
Are you planning to visit Austin this winter but wondering what to wear? We got your back! After securing your plane tickets, packing what to add to your wardrobe is the next thing you’re probably thinking about. Austin street style is fun, but don’t consider style alone; also focus on comfort and warmth when selecting what to wear to Austin in the winter season.
Since you’re traveling in Austin in the winter season it’s very important to add a variety of clothes that will fit the wide range of Austin winter temps that might hit. (Austin winters are typically mild, but the temperatures can sometimes really get chilly in the winter, so better safe than sorry). Far too many people travel here thinking “it’s a warm state” and they’re freezing during their trip!
Average Temperatures In The Austin Winter
To give you an idea, the usual average temperature (according to US Climate Data) in the winter months is as follows:
December Average Low: 42° F
December Average High: 63°
January Average Low: 42° F
January Average High: 62° F
February Average Low: 45° F
February Average High: 65° F
March Average Low: 51° F
March Average High: 72° F
However, don’t necessarily take the average temperatures at face value! As local Austinites will tell you, the range is actually MUCH bigger than this. We’ll occasionally get a random snowy day in February, or maybe there will be a random January day that’s 80 degrees. The Austin winter weather really is all over the place.
Austin is a really hip city with amazing art, great restaurants, and iconic music events and festivals. And with its mild temps during the winter season, January, February, and March are fun times to visit Austin because the winter season is less crowded and less busy. (Caveat: the weeks of SXSW in March are always bonkers!)
If you’re visiting Austin in the winter, choosing the appropriate clothing is essential to ensuring the best possible time on this trip. The winters can be extremely chilly here. Refer back to this guide when you’re packing to get the perfect look for your winter vacation in Austin!
What To Wear To Austin In The Winter
Picking the right clothes and footwear is a must when traveling during the winter season, as it will save you from being absolutely freezing and miserable during your weekend in Austin, Texas. Nothing like shivering through a patio dinner and an outdoor show to dampen the mood! You don’t want to ruin your happy vacation just because you don’t prepare enough comfy clothes that will keep you warm, relaxed, and totally into the Austin vibe. Here are a few winter wardrobe tips to make sure your visit to Austin is a great one.
How do local Austinites dress in the winter?
Austin is a very casual city, and that casual attire extends into the winter season. In the winter, Austinites wear jeans, athleisure, sneakers, and lightweight layers like cardigans, light coats, beanies, and hoodies. Even in the most upscale restaurants, there’s rarely a dress code (it’s rare for a restaurant to have a sports coat requirement or a no-jeans-allowed policy), and you can typically find people wearing casual, cute clothes.
In the winter, Austin residents tend to overdress for the cold a little bit. But hey, that’s because we’re not acclimated to 20-degree days like the folks up in the midwest. It’s not uncommon to see a woman wearing a puffer jacket, boots, and a beanie when she’s walking her dog in 55-degree weather.
But since our winters are quite mild, a lot of Austin residents wear shorts, tanks, sandals, and sneakers during the winter months.
Outfit ideas for girls to wear to Austin in the winter
During the months of December and January, it’s best to pack for slightly colder temperatures. Pack some long sleeve shirts or dresses, a sweater or sweatshirt, jeans and leggings, and some thick socks and boots, especially if you’ll be going out at night when it gets colder. Since these are the coldest months in Austin, you might want to bring a warm coat. You’ll most likely be spending a lot of time outside (Austin is a very outdoorsy city), so it’s nice to have that extra layer for when the temperatures drop.
But if you visit from mid-February to March, you might be able to go more for cute layers. It might be cold or it might be warm, and chances are the temperatures will change a lot during your 3-day trip! Opt for jeans/pants or leggings, strappy tops or short sleeve shirts with light layers to wear over it, and (maybe) a warmer coat, if you want to be safe. A lot of girls wear dresses/skirts in Austin in February and March, but just keep in mind the “light layers” rule. You'll be glad you have that denim jacket or cardigan.
You should also prioritize picking the right footwear that will make you comfortable walking long distances around the city. Austin’s a very walkable city (you might not even need a car for your trip), so make sure you have shoes that you enjoy walking in. For the best Austin winter footwear for girls, bring a pair of sneakers or boots and a backup pair of sandals (because it might be warm). Of course, a pair of cowboy boots can never go wrong with the winter season! Aside from it giving your outfit Texas flair vibes, cowboy boots are really cute and will give you enough comfort and warmth, and they’re fun to wear if you go out to a Honky Tonk like Th Broken Spoke. Whatever you choose, always go with comfy footwear.
Outfit ideas for guys to wear to Austin in the winter
If you're one of the guys wondering what to wear when visiting Austin in the winter season you should wear short- or long-sleeved shirts, a jacket (like a leather jacket, a warmer winter coat, and maybe some sweaters for layering), and a wool beanie (especially nice to have on the cold nights.) You can partner your warm tops with jeans/pants. And, of course, always remember to bring an outfit for warm weather. As mentioned before, Austin winters are pretty mild, and occasionally the weather swings one way or the other. You might get lucky and have a gorgeous 80-degree afternoon where you can sit on a fun patio and drink craft beer. In that case, it’s nice to have some lightweight clothing, just in case.
For guys, the go-to footwear is closed-toe shoes or sneakers, so it’s safe to say that these are the best shoes to wear. If you’re in Austin in the winter, you’ll see 99% of people wearing sneakers. You might also want to bring flip-flops/summery shoes, just in case the weather gets warm and you want to go to your hotel pool.
Clothes You Should Definitely NOT Wear To Austin In the Winter
So, we mentioned above some of the ideal outfit ideas for winter. Now we’re going to share some clothes you should NOT wear to Austin in the Winter.
Since it’s winter season, where the average temperature in Austin ranges from 58.8°F to 38.7°F, you most likely will not need to pack your intense winter gear. We’re talking about parkas, snow boots, thick winter gloves, etc. (Again, there’s always a chance that it snows! But it’s a slim one, and you’ll be able to check your weather app in advance to see if there’s going to be an anomaly in the winter weather.)
Also, it’s best to not only pack for a mild winter. Again, you’ll be really glad you brought those layers! Even if it says that the high is going to be 68 degrees and you’re thinking “oh, that’s sundress/sandal weather,” the temperatures might drop to 38 degrees that evening. And you’ll be really glad you have a warmer jacket and a comfortable pair of shoes.
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