We are Anna and Tetiana, a mother and daughter hosting fourteen vacation rentals on Galveston Island. Every winter a handful of guests stay with us for a month or longer, and some have come back year after year. This guide covers the weather, the tax break, and what the island is like from November to March, so you can decide whether Galveston is the right place to spend the cold months.
What is a Winter Texan?
A Winter Texan is someone who migrates south to the Texas coast for the cold months, the same way a Florida snowbird heads to Fort Lauderdale. Most come from the Midwest, the Great Lakes states and Canada. The upper Texas coast, from Galveston down to South Padre Island, has been their territory for decades. They arrive after Thanksgiving, stay through February or March, and go home when the Gulf warms up and the crowds return.
Galveston's draw is that it is a real town, not a resort strip. There are groceries, pharmacies, a hospital, a library and a year-round community of about 50,000 people. The Strand has restaurants and bars open in January. The island sits an hour from Houston, with its airports, specialists and big-box stores. For a visitor spending two or three months rather than a weekend, that infrastructure matters as much as the beach.
What is the weather like in Galveston from November through March?
Mild compared to anything north of I-10, and warmer at night than Houston thanks to the Gulf acting as a thermal blanket. January is the coldest month. The numbers below are National Weather Service 1991-2020 climate normals for Galveston (Scholes Field), published by the Houston/Galveston forecast office.
Galveston monthly climate normals, 1991-2020 (NWS Houston/Galveston office).
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Rainfall | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 72.4°F | 58.7°F | 4.28 in | Sweater evenings, warm afternoons. Hurricane season ends Nov 30. |
| December | 65.5°F | 51.6°F | 4.23 in | Jacket weather after dark. Fog rolls in on still mornings. |
| January | 63.2°F | 48.9°F | 4.30 in | Coldest month. A front can drop the afternoon into the fifties; between fronts, bright and still. |
| February | 66.4°F | 52.3°F | 2.14 in | Driest winter month. Mardi Gras season starts on the Strand. |
| March | 72.0°F | 58.4°F | 3.02 in | Feels like November in reverse. Spring break crowds arrive mid-month. |
Freezing temperatures are unusual. When they happen, it is overnight during a strong cold front and it does not last. The 2021 winter storm was a once-in-a-generation event, not a pattern. Pack layers rather than a parka: a December afternoon on the deck is often shirt-sleeve weather, and the same evening wants a jacket.
Does the hotel tax go away after 30 days?
Yes. Texas Tax Code §156.101 exempts a guest from the state hotel occupancy tax once they occupy a room for at least 30 consecutive days without an interruption in payment. The state rate is 6% and the City of Galveston adds 9%, so the combined 15% hotel tax drops to zero on qualifying long stays.
There are two paths to the exemption. If you tell the property in writing before arrival that you intend to stay 30 or more consecutive days, and then actually do, the exemption applies from your arrival date. If there is no written notice, tax is collected on the first 30 days, and the exemption kicks in from day 31 with no refund for the earlier period. Any break in occupancy resets the clock.
What is there to do on Galveston Island in winter?
More than you would guess from a summer beach town. The island's winter calendar has a handful of anchor events, and the rest of the season is filled by the things that work year-round: fishing from the piers, birding on the west end, walking the Seawall, cooking at the house, and driving to Houston when you need a city day.
November-December highlights
- Dickens on The Strand (early December) - the island's biggest cultural weekend. The Strand turns into Victorian London with costumed crowds, live music, and food stalls. Read our November and December guide for 2026 dates and admission.
- Holiday in the Gardens at Moody Gardens (late November to early January) - a mile-long light trail, ICE LAND sculpture exhibit, ice rink, and Arctic Slide.
- The Polar Express train ride at the Railroad Museum (November-December) - sells out, book early.
January-March highlights
- Mardi Gras Galveston (late January to Fat Tuesday, February 9, 2027) - the third-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country. More than 20 parades, balcony parties on the Strand, Entertainment District with paid admission. The 2027 schedule has not been published yet; it usually appears a few months ahead. The Knights of Momus Grand Night Parade is confirmed for Saturday, February 6, 2027.
- Winter birding - Galveston sits on the Central Flyway, and the cold months bring Sandhill Cranes, Osprey, Hooded Mergansers and hundreds of shorebird species. Galveston Island State Park runs ranger-led bird walks in winter ($5 entry, children 12 and under free). San Luis Pass, Lafitte's Cove and the bay side of the park are the best spots.
- Fishing - piers and the surf fish year-round, and winter is productive for redfish and black drum. Read our fishing-without-a-boat guide for piers, prices, licences and limits.
- Galveston Restaurant Week usually runs in January or February - check VisitGalveston.com for dates.
What is closed in winter?
Schlitterbahn waterpark closes after Labor Day weekend and reopens in spring. Pleasure Pier runs a reduced schedule with many winter weekdays dark. Beach-park chair and umbrella rentals end in early November. The 61st Street Fishing Pier and Galveston Fishing Pier stay open with adjusted hours. Everything else, including the Strand restaurants, Moody Gardens, the museums and the beaches, stays open all winter.
How much does a monthly rental in Galveston cost?
Winter is the low season on the island, so nightly rates sit at their lowest outside the holiday windows (Thanksgiving week, Christmas-New Year, rally weekend, and Mardi Gras). A stay of several weeks or months is priced individually: the rate depends on which home, how many nights, and which dates. We do not publish a fixed monthly rate because it changes with the calendar and the property.
The simplest thing is to reach out with your dates. We will check availability across our fourteen homes, tell you which ones are open for your window, and quote a price for the full stay. Some of our guests have been coming every winter for years, and the arrangement works because both sides know what to expect.
Booking direct with us rather than through a platform saves up to 15% on the same home - there is no Airbnb guest service fee on a direct booking. On a stay measured in weeks, that adds up. See our fee comparison for the math.
When is Galveston not the right fit for a long winter stay?
We would rather lose a booking than disappoint someone who expected the wrong thing.
- If you want warm swimming water all winter, Galveston is not it. The Gulf drops below 60°F by January and stays there until April. South Padre Island, 370 miles south, runs several degrees warmer, and the water is clearer. Our beach-town comparison has the numbers.
- If you need a heated pool, most outdoor pools on the island go cold in winter. A few of our homes have pools, but whether they are usable in January depends on the property. Ask us.
- If you cannot drive, the island has limited public transit. A car is necessary for groceries, the hospital in the mid-island, and the causeway to Houston.
- If you are looking for nightlife seven nights a week, winter Galveston is quiet. Restaurants and bars are open, but this is a small town in the off-season.
- If a hard freeze makes you anxious, know that it does happen, rarely and briefly. Pipes in our homes are protected, but a night in the thirties is possible once or twice a winter.
How do I book a long winter stay with Karas Vacation Rentals?
Email us at karasvacationrentals@gmail.com or call (936) 582-6976 with your dates, the number of guests, and whether you are bringing a dog. We will send you the available homes with photos and a price for the full stay. If the dates work, we handle the booking, the tax exemption paperwork, and the check-in details.
If you are not sure about the dates yet, that is fine too. Tell us the rough window ("sometime in January through March") and we will tell you what is open. Early inquiries get first pick: our returning winter guests tend to book by September or October.
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