Guide
Summer heat and your AC in Leander, Texas
Cooling equipment near Austin works through one of the longer hot seasons in the country. The weather service numbers show how long.
The official numbers
Austin's official climate site is Camp Mabry. The National Weather Service says normal highs there reach 90 degrees by May 26 and stay above 90 until September 23. Highs peak in the first half of August, in the upper 90s, with lows in the mid 70s.
The first 100-degree day arrives on average July 9 and the last on August 21, though over the past 30 years the last average has slid to August 30.
Source: NWS Austin climate summary. Camp Mabry is in Austin, not Leander, so Leander readings can differ.
Heat and humidity
The same summary says Gulf moisture can lift heat indices above 110 degrees. Humidity matters because the system has to remove it as well as lower the temperature.
What a long season does to equipment
Equipment that runs for months wears more. Filters load faster, coils collect dust and drain lines gather algae. A spring tune-up and a monthly filter check are cheap ways to head off a mid-summer failure.
A record summer
The hottest summer on record in Austin was 2011, with 90 days at or above 100 degrees. A year like that tests every system in the area.
Ready to talk to an independent HVAC contractor?
Dial the number and say what the system is doing. The call connects you with an independent contractor who serves Leander and nearby towns.