Winter nights in Bristol are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 83°. A year here swings 68° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 76% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 68–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Bristol at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bristol’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bristol’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Bristol feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paddock Lake, WI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bristol’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lake Villa 2ne, IL, falls mostly in January. 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 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bristol
92% 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 Paddock Lake, WI.
Living with Bristol’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 33% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bristol from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bristol and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bristol in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bristol’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol, WI | 15° | 83° | 36" | 43" |
| Horseheads, NY | 16° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Haslett, MI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 46" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Bristol averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Bristol compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bristol’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Bristol weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bristol’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lake Villa 2ne, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 1.8" | 15.7" | 12 | 23 | 13° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 1.8" | 8.0" | 9 | 15 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 27° | 2.3" | 5.8" | 11 | 7 | 28° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 3.8" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.4" | 3.1" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 1.9" | 9.2" | 11 | 13 | 15° – 37° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 35.7" | 43.4" | 126 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bristol’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 Bristol’s center.
- Snow: Lake Villa 2ne, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paddock Lake, 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 Bristol’s climate
What is the weather like in Bristol?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bristol in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Bristol get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Lake Villa 2ne, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bristol?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Paddock Lake, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Bristol?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 167 frost-free days, at Paddock Lake, WI.
What growing zone is Bristol in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bristol?
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 Bristol getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bristol.
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.