<P> Winters in Houston are relatively mild and temperate compared to most areas of the United States, though Houston does get much colder than places like South Florida and South Texas . Houston is more prone to extreme variation in the winter months than cities like San Diego, California or Tampa, Florida . The average high in January, the coldest month, is 62.9 ° F (17.2 ° C) and the low 43.2 ° F (6.2 ° C), George Bush Intercontinental Airport sees an average of 9.6 days per year of freezing temperatures . Cold fronts during the winter drop nighttime lows into the 30s but usually above freezing . The coldest weather of the season often includes a period about three weeks with temperatures in the low 30s to mid-40s at night . Hard freezes occur only uncommonly; however, George Bush Intercontinental Airport has recorded a freeze every winter since it opened in 1969 . The coldest temperature ever recorded at George Bush Intercontinental Airport was 7 ° F (− 14 ° C) on December 23, 1989 . Elsewhere, the temperature in Houston dropped to 5 ° F (− 15 ° C) on January 18, 1930 . </P> <P> In December, southward - moving cold fronts can bring cold rain, low wind chills, and, rarely, frozen precipitation . Early January is the coldest time of the year, with temperatures moderating slightly by February . </P> <P> Spring comes with a gradual warm up from winter, lasting from March 20 through May . Temperatures are generally not hot yet, averaging from 75--82 ° F (23.9--27.8 ° C) in the day and 56--64 ° F (13.3--17.8 ° C) at night . Spring thunderstorms are common, often with spectacular lightning shows . This rainfall prompts Houston's 10 - month - long "growing season" to begin . April sees the return of many types of insects, including butterflies and mosquitoes, to Houston's warm climate . </P> <P> Rainfall is the most common form of precipitation in Houston . The wettest month is June, with an average of 5.93 inches (151 mm) of rain . Houston normally receives 49.77 inches (1,264 mm) of precipitation on 104.0 days annually . The most precipitation to fall in one year was 83.02 inches (2,108.7 mm) which occurred in 1979 . Houston has received less than 20 inches (510 mm) of rain only once: 17.66 inches in 1917 . Flash flood warnings are common all year, and due to the flat landscape, heavy rains often threaten life and property in the city . Sea breeze showers which are monsoon - like (especially during the summer months from a mesoscale convective cycle where the polar jet stream usually forms an omega block) are common throughout the Texas Gulf Coast area (from Brownsville to the Florida Peninsula) which has a similar climate to areas like Mumbai and Kolkata - locals refer to the sea breeze showers as the Gulf Coast Monsoon (also called the Gulf of Mexico or the Texas Monsoon), despite Houston being 50 feet above sea level . The sea breeze showers are also a contributor to the North American Monsoon . </P>

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