Buffalo City has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. Seasons differ by 76°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 76% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Buffalo City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Buffalo City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Buffalo City’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Buffalo City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alma Dam 4, WI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Buffalo City’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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Buffalo City
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 Alma Dam 4, WI.
Living with Buffalo City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Buffalo City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Buffalo City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Buffalo City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Buffalo City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo City, WI | 7° | 83° | 35" | 36" |
| Webster City, IA | 9° | 83° | 36" | 33" |
| Worthington, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 45" |
| Freeport, IL | 12° | 83° | 38" | 35" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
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 Buffalo City averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Buffalo City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Buffalo City’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Buffalo City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Buffalo City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Minnesota City Dam 5, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 7° | 1.1" | 8.8" | 8 | 24 | 5° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 1.1" | 9.2" | 7 | 25 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.0" | 5.6" | 9 | 14 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.6" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 1.8" | 1.7" | 8 | 2 | 26° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.3" | 9.0" | 9 | 18 | 8° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 35.3" | 36.0" | 118 | 84 |
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 9°.
Where Buffalo City’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 Buffalo City’s center.
- Snow: Minnesota City Dam 5, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alma Dam 4, 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 Buffalo City’s climate
What is the weather like in Buffalo City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Buffalo City in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 138 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Buffalo City get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.
How hot does it get in Buffalo City?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Alma Dam 4, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Buffalo City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 168 frost-free days, at Alma Dam 4, WI.
What growing zone is Buffalo City 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 Buffalo City?
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 Buffalo City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Buffalo City.
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.