Eau Claire gets about 87 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 83°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 71% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Eau Claire at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Eau Claire’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Eau Claire’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Eau Claire feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, 4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Eau Claire’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 87 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Eau Claire
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI.
Living with Eau Claire’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Eau Claire from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Eau Claire and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Eau Claire yet.
Climates most like Eau Claire’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire, MI | 18° | 83° | 39" | 87" |
| Endicott, NY | 16° | 83° | 40" | 87" |
| Girard, OH | 19° | 83° | 41" | 68" |
| Sharon, PA | 18° | 83° | 42" | 68" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Eau Claire averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Eau Claire compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Eau Claire’s place among Michigan’s.
Eau Claire weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Eau Claire’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 2.6" | 30.5" | 17 | 23 | 16° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 20° | 2.1" | 17.0" | 12 | 18 | 15° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 2.3" | 8.1" | 11 | 7 | 28° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.4" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 2.9" | 6.6" | 12 | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 24° | 2.5" | 22.6" | 15 | 16 | 18° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 39.3" | 86.6" | 141 | 68 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Eau Claire’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Eau Claire’s center.
- Snow: Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, 4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Eau Claire’s climate
What is the weather like in Eau Claire?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Eau Claire in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Eau Claire get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Eau Claire?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Eau Claire?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 189 frost-free days, at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI.
What growing zone is Eau Claire in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Eau Claire?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Eau Claire getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Eau Claire.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.