Photo: Awkwafaba · CC BY-SA 3.0Big Bend’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Bend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Bend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Bend’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Big Bend 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 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waukesha Wwtp, WI, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Bend’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Waukesha Wwtp, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Bend
93% 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 Waukesha Wwtp, WI.
Living with Big Bend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Bend from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Bend and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Big Bend in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Big Bend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend, WI | 13° | 82° | 36" | 37" |
| Milford, MI | 15° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| Horseheads, NY | 16° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Boone, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 36" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
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 Big Bend averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Big Bend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Bend’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Big Bend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Bend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Waukesha Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 13° | 1.7" | 10.4" | 9 | 20 | 11° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.6" | 10.1" | 8 | 19 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 4.6" | 8 | 8 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.2" | 1.8" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 34° | 19° | 1.9" | 8.8" | 9 | 12 | 15° – 36° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 35.7" | 36.9" | 115 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Big Bend’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 Big Bend’s center.
- Snow: Waukesha Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waukesha Wwtp, WI, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Big Bend’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Bend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Bend in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 143 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 11°.
How much snow does Big Bend get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Waukesha Wwtp, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Bend?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Waukesha Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Big Bend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 162 frost-free days, at Waukesha Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Big Bend in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Bend?
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 Big Bend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Bend.
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.