Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Bass Lake
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. From May to September, highs of 66–79° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Bass Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bass Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bass Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Bass Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 124 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hayward Rs, WI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bass Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 67 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Couderay 7 W, WI, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bass Lake
95% 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 Hayward Rs, WI.
Living with Bass Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
124 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 67% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bass Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bass Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bass Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bass Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass Lake, WI | 2° | 79° | 34" | 67" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| Massena, NY | 8° | 80° | 37" | 75" |
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 Bass Lake averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Bass Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bass Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Bass Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bass Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Couderay 7 W, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 2° | 0.9" | 11.3" | 8 | 30 | −2° – 24° |
| February | 26° | 4° | 1.0" | 15.6" | 8 | 28 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 1.6" | 12.2" | 8 | 23 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 2.9" | 6.0" | 11 | 6 | 31° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 22° | 1.9" | 6.5" | 9 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.4" | 14.2" | 10 | 25 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 33.7" | 67.2" | 118 | 121 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bass Lake’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 Bass Lake’s center.
- Snow: Couderay 7 W, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hayward Rs, WI, 5 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 Bass Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Bass Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 74 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bass Lake in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does Bass Lake get?
About 67 inches in a normal winter at Couderay 7 W, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 121 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bass Lake?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Hayward Rs, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Bass Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 124 frost-free days, at Hayward Rs, WI.
What growing zone is Bass Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bass Lake?
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 Bass Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bass Lake.
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.