Carey gets about 140 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 83 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 140 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Carey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carey’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Carey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hurley, WI, 12 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carey’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 140 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Upson, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Carey
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 Hurley, WI.
Living with Carey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 6.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carey from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carey and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Carey in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Carey’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carey, WI | 2° | 77° | 35" | 140" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Tupper Lake, NY | 5° | 78° | 43" | 105" |
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 Carey averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger 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 Carey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carey’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Carey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carey’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Upson, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 1.6" | 33.7" | 14 | −1° – 23° |
| February | 25° | 3° | 1.3" | 21.5" | 12 | 3° – 29° |
| March | 36° | 13° | 1.8" | 15.8" | 10 | 14° – 40° |
| April | 49° | 26° | 3.0" | 11.5" | 11 | 28° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.8" | 1.8" | 12 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 57° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 57° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 3.6" | 4.0" | 13 | 36° – 47° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 2.3" | 14.0" | 11 | 19° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.8" | 37.3" | 13 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 35.2" | 139.6" | 142 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Carey’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 Carey’s center.
- Snow: Upson, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hurley, WI, 12 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower; 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 Carey’s climate
What is the weather like in Carey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 140 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 85 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carey in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 185 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 −1°.
How much snow does Carey get?
About 140 inches in a normal winter at Upson, WI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Carey?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Hurley, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Carey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 128 frost-free days, at Hurley, WI.
What growing zone is Carey in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carey?
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 Carey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carey.
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.