Photo: The original uploader was Nationalparks at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5Bayfield sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
January nights here settle around 7°. Seasons differ by 69°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 96% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Bayfield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bayfield’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bayfield’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Bayfield feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madeline Island, WI, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bayfield’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 Bayfield
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 Madeline Island, WI.
Living with Bayfield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 60% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bayfield from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bayfield and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bayfield yet.
Climates most like Bayfield’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield, WI | 7° | 76° | 31" | 74" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
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 Bayfield averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Bayfield compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bayfield’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Bayfield weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bayfield’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 | 22° | 7° | 1.3" | 18.8" | 11 | 3° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 9° | 1.1" | 14.1" | 8 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.5" | 8 | 18° – 41° |
| April | 48° | 29° | 2.7" | 5.3" | 10 | 31° – 45° |
| May | 61° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 56° – 62° |
| July | 76° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 66° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.7" | 12 | 39° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 26° | 2.1" | 6.4" | 10 | 24° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 15° | 1.7" | 16.4" | 11 | 10° – 30° |
| Year | 50° | 32° | 30.6" | 73.5" | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bayfield’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 Bayfield’s center.
- Snow: Madeline Island, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madeline Island, WI, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Bayfield’s climate
What is the weather like in Bayfield?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bayfield in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Bayfield get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Madeline Island, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Bayfield?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 56°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Madeline Island, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Bayfield?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 140 frost-free days, at Madeline Island, WI.
What growing zone is Bayfield in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bayfield?
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 Bayfield getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bayfield.
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.