January in Center bites harder than in 91% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in January. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 74% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 70–83°.
A year in Center at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Center’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Center’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Center feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Center’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Center
91% 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 Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI.
Living with Center’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 15.
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 Center from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Center and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Center in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Center’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center, WI | 12° | 83° | 38" | 37" |
| Grinnell, IA | 12° | 84° | 38" | 31" |
| Albion, MI | 17° | 83° | 37" | 40" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
| Elmira, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
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 Center averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Center compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Center’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Center weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Center’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 12° | 1.5" | 10.8" | 10 | 10° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.6" | 10.1" | 9 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 4.1" | 10 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.7" | 1.3" | 12 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 2.4" | 2.4" | 9 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.9" | 7.7" | 10 | 12° – 36° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 37.8" | 36.6" | 127 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Center’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 Center’s center.
- Snow: Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Center’s climate
What is the weather like in Center?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Center in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Center get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Center?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Center?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 170 frost-free days, at Afton - Janesville Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Center in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Center?
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 Center getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Center.
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.