Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0Barksdale sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 78°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 74° apart. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. From June to September, highs of 67–78° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Barksdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Barksdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Barksdale’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Barksdale 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, 8 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Barksdale’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 Barksdale
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 Barksdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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. 26 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 59% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Barksdale from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Barksdale and its neighbors
Tripp has the coldest January nights next door (3°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Barksdale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barksdale, WI | 4° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| St. Joseph, MN | 3° | 81° | 30" | 57" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
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 Barksdale averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A bigger 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 Barksdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Barksdale’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Barksdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Barksdale’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 | 21° | 4° | 1.1" | 18.8" | 11 | 0° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 1.0" | 14.1" | 8 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 1.6" | 11.5" | 8 | 19° – 41° |
| April | 50° | 28° | 2.6" | 5.3" | 10 | 32° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.7" | 12 | 38° – 48° |
| November | 38° | 24° | 2.0" | 6.4" | 10 | 22° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 12° | 1.5" | 16.4" | 11 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 31.2" | 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 6° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Barksdale’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 Barksdale’s center.
- Snow: Madeline Island, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ashland 3s, WI, 8 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 Barksdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Barksdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 169 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Barksdale in winter?
January nights average 4°. 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 0°.
How much snow does Barksdale get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Madeline Island, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Barksdale?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Ashland 3s, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Barksdale?
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 Barksdale in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Barksdale?
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 Barksdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Barksdale.
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.