Clarno’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Clarno at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clarno’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clarno’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Clarno 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 27 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Monroe Wwtp, WI, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clarno’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Monroe Wwtp, WI, falls mostly in January. 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 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clarno
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 Monroe Wwtp, WI.
Living with Clarno’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clarno from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clarno and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Clarno in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Clarno’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarno, WI | 12° | 83° | 38" | 42" |
| Boone, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 36" |
| Hillsdale, MI | 16° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| 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 Clarno averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Clarno compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clarno’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Clarno weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clarno’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Monroe Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 12° | 1.5" | 11.8" | 9 | 23 | 10° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 1.6" | 10.5" | 8 | 20 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.7" | 9 | 9 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.7" | 1.4" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.4" | 1.8" | 8 | 2 | 28° – 47° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.9" | 10.6" | 9 | 15 | 11° – 37° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 38.3" | 41.5" | 117 | 70 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Clarno’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 Clarno’s center.
- Snow: Monroe Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Monroe Wwtp, WI, 3 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 Clarno’s climate
What is the weather like in Clarno?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clarno in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Clarno get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Monroe Wwtp, WI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 70 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clarno?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Monroe Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Clarno?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 170 frost-free days, at Monroe Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Clarno in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clarno?
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 Clarno getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clarno.
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.