The state's southern latitude means plenty of warm temperatures, even in deepest winter. While summers and winters can occasionally be extreme, spring and fall are always delightfully moderate. Snow occasionally makes appearances in the Panhandle and higher elevations of the West, but elsewhere winter tends to be little more than a nuisance. So enjoyable is the overall climate in the state's southern region that it is the winter home of a number of people who seek the shelter of its warmth from the cold climates of Canada and the Northeast. Mother Nature puts on quite a show in the spring.
Autumn is no less spectacular.
Along with the pleasant nip in the air, fall brings dramatic change in the decidous forests of Texas, particularly in the Lost Maples State Natural Area . Forested Plains - all converge here, and the result is a geographic diversity unparalleled in the Lower 48. While the scrub-studded hardscrabble of the west presents a formidable landscape, the white sandy beaches and temperate waters of the southeast soothe the soul. Sunsets are breathtaking as the lingering rays hit the lunarlike Caprock in the Panhandle, and the same sun is seldom seen through the lush towering pines of East Texas. The rolling hills of the Central Texas Hill Country are above the hundreds of underground springs that course underground, filling the region's myriad lakes with cool, clean water.