Photo: Williamborg 18:50, 24 May 2008 (UTC) · Public domainDry weather: only 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year in LaCrosse, less than in 94% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 89°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in LaCrosse at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about LaCrosse’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with LaCrosse’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in LaCrosse feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lacrosse, WA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts LaCrosse’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lacrosse, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August 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 LaCrosse
92% 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 Lacrosse, WA.
Living with LaCrosse’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in LaCrosse from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →LaCrosse and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around LaCrosse yet.
Climates most like LaCrosse’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaCrosse, WA | 27° | 89° | 14" | 17" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
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 LaCrosse averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 LaCrosse compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with LaCrosse’s place among Washington’s.
LaCrosse weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at LaCrosse’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lacrosse, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 27° | 1.8" | 4.1" | 14 | 8 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 28° | 1.3" | 2.2" | 11 | 3 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 33° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 12 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| June | 79° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 89° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 63° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 1.7" | 1.8" | 13 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 26° | 2.1" | 8.1" | 15 | 8 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 63° | 39° | 14.2" | 17.1" | 106 | 21 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where LaCrosse’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 LaCrosse’s center.
- Snow: Lacrosse, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lacrosse, WA, 2.2 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 LaCrosse’s climate
What is the weather like in LaCrosse?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in LaCrosse in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does LaCrosse get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Lacrosse, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 21 days a year.
How hot does it get in LaCrosse?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 55°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Lacrosse, WA).
When is the first and last frost in LaCrosse?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 133 frost-free days, at Lacrosse, WA.
What growing zone is LaCrosse in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit LaCrosse?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is LaCrosse getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in LaCrosse.
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.