Seasonal Outlook: Winter 2026

Winter is right around the corner, and the UT-City CoLab’s 2025-26 Winter Outlook offers key insights to help Austin stay ready for whatever comes.

The Austin Seasonal Outlooks provide a forecast of expected seasonal weather patterns, including continued drought risks, high wildfire risks, and potential impacts on the community. This report helps residents and officials prepare for extreme heat and manage associated risks.

This outlook dives into the latest climate projections, offering valuable insights to help policymakers, community leaders, and organizations prepare for the unique challenges the upcoming winter season may bring to Austin.

How Heat Affects Us: Community Screening & Conversation

Heat kills more people than any other extreme weather event. To address this growing crisis, the UT–City CoLab at the Jackson School of Geoscience and Planet Texas 2050 has been advancing innovative initiatives around heat resilience.

Man looking at "Average High Summer Lan Surface Temperature in Austin, Texas" map poster.

One highlight was the partnership with Tapi Studios and GAVA to host the inaugural screening of the short film Una Nave Frágil (A Fragile Vessel), followed by a dynamic community conversation on extreme heat. The discussion explored how mapping, satellite data, and climate models can help cities and communities better understand and prepare for heat events.

The film itself emerged from conversations between community members, academics, faculty, students, and city staff. It follows the story of one Austin family during the record-breaking heat of summer 2023, capturing intergenerational perspectives on living through extreme weather events.

Audience sits for movie screening.

The screening, held at Dottiewood Studios in North Austin, blended art, science, and community engagement to create an immersive evening for attendees. The CoLab helped run the art room where participants reflected creatively on heat through prompts like “How would you describe heat to an alien?” and the science room where the TEXUS lab team presented neighborhood heat maps, including the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), to illustrate how heat is experienced differently across Austin, from Westlake Highlands to Dove Springs, Montopolis, and Rundberg.

CoLab Team Member speaks with event patron.

The Una Nave Frágil screening demonstrated the power of combining storytelling, art, and science to uplift community voices and foster meaningful conversations about climate resilience.

Photo of audience watching the heat film.

This work builds on our broader efforts to tackle extreme heats through project funded by #NASA and #NIST where we utilize satellite data to inform solutions like planting trees.

UT-City CoLab Summer Outlook 2025

🌞 We’re excited to share the UT-City CoLab Summer Outlook 2025!

This season’s outlook highlights some of the key climate challenges Central Texas is expected to face, from higher-than-normal temperatures to persistent drought conditions and increased wildfire risk.

Understanding these shifting patterns is essential as we prepare for the summer ahead. The Summer Outlook offers timely insights to help our community stay informed, adapt, and respond with resilience through the hotter months.

Let’s continue to stay proactive and work together for a climate-ready Texas!