Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Dairyland
High summer brings afternoon highs near 79°. A year here swings 78° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Dairyland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dairyland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dairyland’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Dairyland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gordon, WI, 17 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dairyland’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gordon, WI, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dairyland
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 Gordon, WI.
Living with Dairyland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 50 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dairyland from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dairyland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Dairyland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Dairyland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairyland, WI | 1° | 79° | 32" | 60" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Alexandria, MN | 1° | 80° | 27" | 46" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
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 Dairyland averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 Dairyland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dairyland’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Dairyland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dairyland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gordon, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 1° | 0.9" | 10.3" | 10 | 31 | −2° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 0.9" | 10.3" | 7 | 28 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 1.5" | 10.4" | 9 | 26 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 2.7" | 5.8" | 11 | 9 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 3.2" | 0.9" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 22° | 1.7" | 8.9" | 8 | 11 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 1.3" | 12.8" | 10 | 25 | 4° – 27° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 31.8" | 59.7" | 122 | 130 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dairyland’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 Dairyland’s center.
- Snow: Gordon, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gordon, WI, 17 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Dairyland’s climate
What is the weather like in Dairyland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 67 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dairyland in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 191 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 −2°.
How much snow does Dairyland get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Gordon, WI, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 130 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dairyland?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Gordon, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Dairyland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 126 frost-free days, at Gordon, WI.
What growing zone is Dairyland in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dairyland?
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 Dairyland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dairyland.
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.