Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Wilder
Expect July afternoons of about 82°. Only 76° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 85% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 69–82°.
A year in Wilder at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wilder’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wilder’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Wilder feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Windom, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wilder’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Windom, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wilder
90% 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 Windom, MN.
Living with Wilder’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wilder from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wilder and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wilder in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wilder’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilder, MN | 6° | 82° | 31" | 44" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Waverly, IA | 9° | 83° | 37" | 39" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wilder averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Wilder compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wilder’s place among Minnesota’s.
Wilder weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wilder’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Windom, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 0.7" | 8.4" | 7 | 28 | 3° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 0.8" | 9.0" | 7 | 23 | 8° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 1.6" | 7.3" | 8 | 14 | 22° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.2" | 4.2" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.9" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 23° | 1.4" | 5.2" | 6 | 6 | 22° – 45° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 1.0" | 8.4" | 8 | 22 | 5° – 26° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 31.2" | 43.5" | 106 | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Wilder’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 Wilder’s center.
- Snow: Windom, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Windom, MN, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Wilder’s climate
What is the weather like in Wilder?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wilder in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 29 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Wilder get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Windom, MN, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wilder?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Windom, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Wilder?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 162 frost-free days, at Windom, MN.
What growing zone is Wilder in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wilder?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wilder getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wilder.
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.