Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Clifton
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 82% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in December. Garden planting can start around May 11; autumn frost returns near October 1.
A year in Clifton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clifton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clifton’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Clifton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at River Falls, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clifton’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Farmington 3 Nw, MN, falls mostly in January. 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 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clifton
95% 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 River Falls, WI.
Living with Clifton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 11 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clifton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clifton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Clifton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Clifton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton, WI | 7° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
| Worthington, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 45" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
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 Clifton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Clifton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clifton’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Clifton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clifton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Farmington 3 Nw, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 7° | 0.9" | 10.5" | 6 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 0.9" | 6.4" | 5 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 23° | 1.7" | 8.0" | 6 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.0" | 1.8" | 8 | 35° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.3" | 7 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 1.7" | 7.0" | 6 | 24° – 46° |
| December | 28° | 14° | 1.2" | 7.0" | 6 | 7° – 30° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 33.9" | 41.0" | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Clifton’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 Clifton’s center.
- Snow: Farmington 3 Nw, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: River Falls, WI, 6 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 Clifton’s climate
What is the weather like in Clifton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clifton in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Clifton get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Farmington 3 Nw, MN, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Clifton?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (River Falls, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Clifton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 143 frost-free days, at River Falls, WI.
What growing zone is Clifton in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clifton?
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 Clifton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clifton.
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.