Birch Hill gets about 134 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 92 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. July is the wettest month here, with about 3.3 times the rain of February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Birch Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Birch Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Birch Hill’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Birch Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saxon 1wsw, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Birch Hill’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 134 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Saxon 1wsw, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Birch Hill
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 Saxon 1wsw, WI.
Living with Birch Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 65% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Birch Hill from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Birch Hill and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Birch Hill yet.
Climates most like Birch Hill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Hill, WI | 6° | 78° | 34" | 134" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
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 Birch Hill averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Birch Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Birch Hill’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Birch Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Birch Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saxon 1wsw, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 1.6" | 30.9" | 11 | 2° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 1.3" | 24.5" | 8 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 1.7" | 17.9" | 8 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 50° | 29° | 2.8" | 7.9" | 9 | 31° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.7" | 10 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 65° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 36° | 3.5" | 2.0" | 11 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 25° | 2.3" | 17.6" | 9 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 13° | 1.8" | 32.7" | 11 | 9° – 30° |
| Year | 51° | 32° | 33.8" | 134.4" | 117 |
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 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Birch Hill’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 Birch Hill’s center.
- Snow: Saxon 1wsw, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saxon 1wsw, WI, 6 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 Birch Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Birch Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 134 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 Birch Hill in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Birch Hill get?
About 134 inches in a normal winter at Saxon 1wsw, WI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Birch Hill?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Saxon 1wsw, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Birch Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 132 frost-free days, at Saxon 1wsw, WI.
What growing zone is Birch Hill 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 Birch Hill?
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 Birch Hill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Birch Hill.
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.