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Brown Deer SchoolBrown Deer School · Photo: Freekee · CC0
Climate in Brown Deer · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Winter nights in Brown Deer are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns

Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 86% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 66–81°.

Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns#354 coldest of 377 in WI
More snow than 74% of U.S. towns#269Snowiest  of 377 in WI
All WI rankings →

A year in Brown Deer at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan29°14° 11" snow
Feb33°17° 10" snow
Mar43°26° 5" snow
Apr55°35° Last frost ~Apr 26
May66°45° 1 day 90°+
Jun76°55° 4 days 90°+Wettest
Jul81°61° 6 days 90°+
Aug79°60° 4 days 90°+
Sep73°53° 2 days 90°+
Oct60°41° First frost ~Oct 18
Nov now46°30°
Dec35°20° 10" snow

What stands out about Brown Deer’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brown Deer’s place in Wisconsin beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Brown Deer feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
32° / 17°
13 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
55° / 35°
Last frost around Apr 26
Summer
79° / 59°
17 days reach 90°
Fall
60° / 41°
First frost around Oct 18
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 173 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Mary College, WI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

134
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
349th most of 377 in Wisconsin
More freezing nights than 72% of U.S. towns
11
nights at or below 0°
335th most of 377 in Wisconsin
More nights at or below 0° than 86% of U.S. towns
17
days that reach 90°
349th fewest of 377 in Wisconsin
Fewer 90° days than 57% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
5th most of 377 in Wisconsin
More 100° days than 62% of U.S. towns
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Brown Deer’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

6.0
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 40 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Mt Mary College, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.

34"
Rain + melted snow a year
163rd driest of 377 in Wisconsin
Drier than 79% of U.S. towns
40"
Snow in a normal winter
269th snowiest of 377 in Wisconsin
More snow than 74% of U.S. towns
58 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
308th most of 351 in Wisconsin
More days with snow on the ground than 78% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

11"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Brown Deer

90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,792 heating degree daysMore heating than 84% of U.S. towns
728 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 66% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mt Mary College, WI.

Living here

Living with Brown Deer’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

173 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 18.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brown Deer from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 46%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Brown Deer and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Brown Deer in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Glendale: January low 15°, July high 80°Bayside: January low 16°, July high 80°Fox Point: January low 16°, July high 80°Wauwatosa: January low 14°, July high 82°Greenfield: January low 14°, July high 82°Shorewood: January low 16°, July high 80°West Allis: January low 14°, July high 82°St. Francis: January low 16°, July high 80°West Milwaukee: January low 15°, July high 82°Menomonee Falls: January low 13°, July high 82°Oak Creek: January low 16°, July high 81°Whitefish Bay: January low 16°, July high 80°Cudahy: January low 16°, July high 81°River Hills: January low 15°, July high 80°Milwaukee: January low 15°, July high 82°Brown Deer: January low 14°, July high 81°Brown DeerRiver HillsMilwaukee
ColderMilder13° to 16°
Brown Deer14.3°
Milwaukee14.6° about the same
River Hills15.0° about the same

Climates most like Brown Deer’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Brown Deer, WI14°81°34"40"
Milford, MI15°82°33"36"
Corning, NY15°81°36"47"
Kendallville, IN17°83°38"36"
Sayre, PA17°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Brown Deer averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).

+1.4°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 50% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.8°now 25°, was 22°
Spring+1.0°now 45°, was 44°
Summer+0.6°now 69°, was 68°
Fall+1.0°now 50°, was 49°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Brown Deer compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brown Deer’s place among Wisconsin’s.

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns134th coolest of 377 in Wisconsin
Winter cold14° January low
Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns354th coldest of 377 in Wisconsin
Precipitation34" a year
Drier than 79% of U.S. towns163rd driest of 377 in Wisconsin
Snow40" a winter
More snow than 74% of U.S. towns269th snowiest of 377 in Wisconsin
Hot days17 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 57% of U.S. towns349th fewest of 377 in Wisconsin
Freezing nights134 a year
More freezing nights than 72% of U.S. towns349th most of 377 in Wisconsin
Growing season173 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 68% of U.S. towns338th shortest of 376 in Wisconsin
Month by month

Brown Deer weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brown Deer’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Mary College, WI. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January29°14°1.6"11.0"102011° – 33°
February33°17°1.5"9.9"91713° – 35°
March43°26°2.0"5.3"9726° – 49°
April55°35°3.7"1.5"12136° – 50°
May66°45°3.7"0.0"13050° – 61°
June76°55°4.3"0.0"11062° – 71°
July81°61°3.5"0.0"10066° – 78°
August79°60°3.7"0.0"10065° – 75°
September73°53°3.1"0.0"9056° – 67°
October60°41°2.8"0.0"11046° – 57°
November46°30°2.1"2.0"9229° – 47°
December35°20°1.8"9.8"101215° – 38°
Year56°38°33.7"39.5"12058
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Brown Deer’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 Brown Deer’s center.
  • Snow: Mt Mary College, WI.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Mary College, WI, 8 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 Brown Deer’s climate

What is the weather like in Brown Deer?

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Brown Deer in winter?

January nights average 14°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.

How much snow does Brown Deer get?

About 40 inches in a normal winter at Mt Mary College, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.

How hot does it get in Brown Deer?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Mt Mary College, WI).

When is the first and last frost in Brown Deer?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 173 frost-free days, at Mt Mary College, WI.

What growing zone is Brown Deer in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.

What is the best time of year to visit Brown Deer?

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 Brown Deer getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brown Deer.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.