Clam Lake gets about 103 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. The outdoor season runs from June to September, with highs of 68–78°.
A year in Clam Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clam Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clam Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Clam Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clam Lake 4w, WI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clam Lake’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°
About 103 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mellen 4 Ne, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clam Lake
98% 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 Clam Lake 4w, WI.
Living with Clam Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clam Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 45%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clam Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Clam Lake yet.
Climates most like Clam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clam Lake, WI | 2° | 78° | 34" | 103" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
| Malone, NY | 7° | 79° | 41" | 98" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Clam Lake averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger 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 Clam Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clam Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Clam Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clam Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mellen 4 Ne, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 1.2" | 23.8" | 14 | 31 | −1° – 24° |
| February | 26° | 4° | 1.1" | 16.8" | 10 | 29 | 3° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 15° | 1.7" | 16.1" | 10 | 27 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 2.9" | 8.7" | 11 | 10 | 30° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 33° | 3.5" | 1.5" | 13 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 2.0" | 12.8" | 11 | 13 | 20° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.5" | 22.1" | 13 | 28 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 34.2" | 102.6" | 139 | 138 |
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 Clam 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 Clam Lake’s center.
- Snow: Mellen 4 Ne, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clam Lake 4w, WI, 4 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 Clam Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Clam Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 103 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 78 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clam Lake in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 45 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Clam Lake get?
About 103 inches in a normal winter at Mellen 4 Ne, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 138 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clam Lake?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Clam Lake 4w, WI.
When is the first and last frost in Clam Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 136 frost-free days, at Clam Lake 4w, WI.
What growing zone is Clam Lake 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 Clam Lake?
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 Clam Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clam 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.