Cochrane sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. Seasons differ by 76°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 76% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 70–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Cochrane at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cochrane’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cochrane’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Cochrane feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cochrane’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 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 Cochrane
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 Minnesota City Dam 5, MN.
Living with Cochrane’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cochrane from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cochrane and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cochrane in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cochrane’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochrane, WI | 7° | 83° | 35" | 36" |
| Webster City, IA | 9° | 83° | 36" | 33" |
| Worthington, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 45" |
| Freeport, IL | 12° | 83° | 38" | 35" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 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 Cochrane averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Cochrane compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cochrane’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Cochrane weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cochrane’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Minnesota City Dam 5, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 7° | 1.1" | 8.8" | 8 | 24 | 5° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 1.1" | 9.2" | 7 | 25 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.0" | 5.6" | 9 | 14 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.6" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 1.8" | 1.7" | 8 | 2 | 26° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.3" | 9.0" | 9 | 18 | 8° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 35.3" | 36.0" | 118 | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Cochrane’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 Cochrane’s center.
- Snow: Minnesota City Dam 5, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, 5 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 Cochrane’s climate
What is the weather like in Cochrane?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cochrane in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Cochrane get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cochrane?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Minnesota City Dam 5, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Cochrane?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 175 frost-free days, at Minnesota City Dam 5, MN.
What growing zone is Cochrane in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cochrane?
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 Cochrane getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cochrane.
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.