Catawba sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 78°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 4.3 times as much as February. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 23; autumn frost returns near September 23.
A year in Catawba at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Catawba’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Catawba’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Catawba feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 124 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Prentice #2, WI, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Catawba’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 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jump Rvr 3e, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Catawba
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 Prentice #2, WI.
Living with Catawba’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
124 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 23 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Catawba from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 42%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Catawba and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Catawba in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Catawba’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba, WI | 3° | 78° | 33" | 70" |
| Grand Rapids, MN | −2° | 79° | 28" | 60" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
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 Catawba averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 59% 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 Catawba compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Catawba’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Catawba weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Catawba’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jump Rvr 3e, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 1.1" | 17.2" | 8 | 29 | 0° – 24° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 1.0" | 13.7" | 6 | 27 | 3° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 1.6" | 11.0" | 7 | 22 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 2.8" | 3.9" | 9 | 4 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 0.8" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 38° | 23° | 1.9" | 6.2" | 7 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 1.4" | 17.0" | 8 | 26 | 5° – 29° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 32.7" | 70.4" | 103 | 115 |
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 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Catawba’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 Catawba’s center.
- Snow: Jump Rvr 3e, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Prentice #2, WI, 11 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 Catawba’s climate
What is the weather like in Catawba?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Catawba in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Catawba get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Jump Rvr 3e, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 115 days a year.
How hot does it get in Catawba?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Prentice #2, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Catawba?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 124 frost-free days, at Prentice #2, WI.
What growing zone is Catawba 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 Catawba?
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 Catawba getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Catawba.
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.