How much snow will there be? Here are the best snowfall events in Houston history – Houston Public Media

On January 21, 2025By Littum

Like Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) suggested the Houston area could see as much as 4-6 inches of snow. If the forecast comes true, it would be the most snow the city has seen since 1960, and possibly one of its heaviest snowfall events on record.

Snow is a rare sight in Houston with the last recorded snowfall on February 15, 2021 during the winter storm that left millions of Texans without power. According to the NWS, Houston has received an inch or more of snow 11 times since it began keeping records in 1920.

Houston has seen more than an inch of snow in a single day nine times in the last 129 years.

RELATED: Houston gets widespread snowfall this week, some areas up to 5-6 inches

According to NWS data, the highest annual total for snow in Houston occurred in 1973, when the city received 4.8 inches spread over several days during January and February.

Here are all the recorded times Houston has received more than an inch of snow in a single day, according to the NWS and other sources:

14 February 1895 — 20 inches (This was before the NWS began keeping records, but several newspapers from the time reported 20 inches of snow in the area, according to Space City Weather.)
22 January 1940 — 3 inches

12 February 1960 — 3 inches

30 January 1949 – 2.6 inches

23 December 1929 – 2.5 inches

January 12, 1973 — 2 inches

December 22, 1989 – 1.7 inches

February 2, 1980 – 1.4 inches

December 10, 2008 – 1.4 inches