Photo: Billertl · CC BY-SA 3.0Ashland’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ashland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ashland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ashland’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Ashland 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 20 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ashland 3s, WI, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ashland’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Madeline Island, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ashland
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ashland 3s, WI.
Living with Ashland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 20 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 65% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ashland from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ashland and its neighbors
Eileen has the coldest January nights next door (5°, 1° colder) and Gingles the hottest July afternoons (79°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ashland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
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 Ashland averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger 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 Ashland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ashland’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Ashland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ashland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madeline Island, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 1.2" | 18.8" | 11 | 2° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 1.0" | 14.1" | 8 | 7° – 33° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.5" | 8 | 19° – 42° |
| April | 50° | 29° | 2.6" | 5.3" | 10 | 32° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.7" | 12 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 25° | 2.0" | 6.4" | 10 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 28° | 14° | 1.5" | 16.4" | 11 | 9° – 30° |
| Year | 51° | 32° | 30.9" | 73.5" | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ashland’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 Ashland’s center.
- Snow: Madeline Island, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ashland 3s, WI, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Ashland’s climate
What is the weather like in Ashland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ashland in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Ashland get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Madeline Island, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Ashland?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Ashland 3s, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Ashland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 133 frost-free days, at Ashland 3s, WI.
What growing zone is Ashland in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ashland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ashland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ashland.
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.