Chief Lake has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 79°. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 66–79°.
A year in Chief Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chief Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chief Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Chief Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hayward Muni Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chief Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 67 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Couderay 7 W, WI, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 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 Chief Lake
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 Hayward Muni Airport.
Living with Chief Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 70% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chief Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chief Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chief Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chief Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Lake, WI | 2° | 79° | 34" | 67" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
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 Chief Lake averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Chief Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chief Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Chief Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chief Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Couderay 7 W, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 2° | 1.0" | 11.3" | 8 | 30 | −1° – 24° |
| February | 26° | 4° | 1.0" | 15.6" | 8 | 28 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 1.7" | 12.2" | 8 | 23 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 3.0" | 6.0" | 11 | 6 | 31° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 22° | 1.9" | 6.5" | 9 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.4" | 14.2" | 10 | 25 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 34.0" | 67.2" | 118 | 121 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Chief Lake’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 Chief Lake’s center.
- Snow: Couderay 7 W, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hayward Muni Airport, 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 Chief Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Chief Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 72 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chief Lake in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 40 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Chief Lake get?
About 67 inches in a normal winter at Couderay 7 W, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 121 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chief Lake?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Hayward Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Chief Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 122 frost-free days, at Hayward Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Chief Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chief Lake?
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 Chief Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chief Lake.
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.