Midwinter lows in Ashford sink below those of 94% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Ashford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ashford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ashford’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Ashford 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 May 1 and the first by October 12. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fond Du Lac 2 Sw, WI, 14 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ashford’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ashford
94% 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 Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI.
Living with Ashford’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 May 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 Oct 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ashford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ashford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ashford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ashford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford, WI | 10° | 81° | 34" | 38" |
| Oakdale, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
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 Ashford averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Ashford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ashford’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Ashford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ashford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 10° | 1.4" | 10.8" | 8 | 23 | 6° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 13° | 1.2" | 9.9" | 7 | 22 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 8 | 10 | 24° – 47° |
| April | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 2.4" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 43° | 27° | 2.1" | 1.7" | 8 | 3 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 31° | 17° | 1.6" | 7.1" | 7 | 15 | 12° – 34° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 33.7" | 38.0" | 109 | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ashford’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 Ashford’s center.
- Snow: Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, 16 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Fond Du Lac 2 Sw, WI, 14 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower; 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 Ashford’s climate
What is the weather like in Ashford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ashford in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Ashford get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ashford?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Ashford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 162 frost-free days, at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Ashford in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ashford?
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 Ashford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ashford.
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.