Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Onalaska reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 40°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 88% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Tender plants can go out after about March 1; in half of years the first frost comes by November 24.
A year in Onalaska at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Onalaska’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Onalaska’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Onalaska feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 269 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 1 and the first by November 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Livingston 2 Nne, TX, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Onalaska’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 51 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Onalaska
35% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Livingston 2 Nne, TX.
Living with Onalaska’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
269 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Onalaska from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Onalaska and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Onalaska yet.
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 Onalaska averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Onalaska compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Onalaska’s place among Texas’.
Onalaska weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Onalaska’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 40° | 4.4" | 45° – 57° |
| February | 65° | 44° | 3.6" | 45° – 63° |
| March | 72° | 50° | 3.8" | 55° – 68° |
| April | 79° | 56° | 3.8" | 62° – 72° |
| May | 86° | 65° | 4.7" | 71° – 79° |
| June | 91° | 71° | 4.6" | 79° – 86° |
| July | 94° | 73° | 3.5" | 81° – 88° |
| August | 95° | 73° | 3.8" | 80° – 90° |
| September | 89° | 68° | 4.1" | 76° – 83° |
| October | 81° | 57° | 5.2" | 65° – 76° |
| November | 70° | 48° | 4.5" | 53° – 64° |
| December | 62° | 41° | 4.9" | 44° – 56° |
| Year | 79° | 57° | 50.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 63°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Onalaska’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 Onalaska’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Livingston 2 Nne, TX, 13 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 Onalaska’s climate
What is the weather like in Onalaska?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 40°. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Onalaska in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 36 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How hot does it get in Onalaska?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 73°. About 103 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Livingston 2 Nne, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Onalaska?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 1 and the first fall frost by November 24, about 269 frost-free days, at Livingston 2 Nne, TX.
What growing zone is Onalaska in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Onalaska?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Onalaska getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Onalaska.
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.