Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Bloom
Midsummer highs settle at about 81°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 85% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 69–81°.
A year in Bloom at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bloom’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bloom’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Bloom feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hillsboro 2sw, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bloom’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at La Farge, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bloom
96% 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 Hillsboro 2sw, WI.
Living with Bloom’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bloom from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bloom and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bloom in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bloom’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloom, WI | 8° | 81° | 38" | 46" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Waseca, MN | 6° | 81° | 35" | 52" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 82° | 39" | 61" |
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 Bloom averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Bloom compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bloom’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Bloom weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bloom’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from La Farge, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 1.2" | 11.9" | 10 | 20 | 6° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 12° | 1.1" | 9.9" | 9 | 16 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.0" | 6.4" | 10 | 9 | 25° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 3.8" | 3.0" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 26° | 2.1" | 3.1" | 9 | 2 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.5" | 11.6" | 10 | 12 | 9° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 37.5" | 46.2" | 122 | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bloom’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 Bloom’s center.
- Snow: La Farge, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hillsboro 2sw, WI, 10 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 Bloom’s climate
What is the weather like in Bloom?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bloom in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Bloom get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at La Farge, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 59 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bloom?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hillsboro 2sw, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Bloom?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 138 frost-free days, at Hillsboro 2sw, WI.
What growing zone is Bloom in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bloom?
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 Bloom getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bloom.
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.