Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Dewey
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 79°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 67–79° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Dewey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dewey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dewey’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Dewey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Falls Hydro, WI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dewey’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ladysmith 3w, WI, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dewey
96% 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 Big Falls Hydro, WI.
Living with Dewey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 7 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dewey from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dewey and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Dewey in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Dewey’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey, WI | 3° | 79° | 32" | 52" |
| Brainerd, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| 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 Dewey averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Dewey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dewey’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Dewey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dewey’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ladysmith 3w, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 1.0" | 9.2" | 10 | 28 | 1° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 1.0" | 11.7" | 7 | 28 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.6" | 6.7" | 7 | 20 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.8" | 5.5" | 11 | 6 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.8" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.7" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.8" | 4.8" | 8 | 5 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 1.3" | 12.2" | 10 | 23 | 6° – 30° |
| Year | 52° | 32° | 32.3" | 52.1" | 114 | 111 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dewey’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 Dewey’s center.
- Snow: Ladysmith 3w, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Falls Hydro, 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 Dewey’s climate
What is the weather like in Dewey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dewey in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 48 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Dewey get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Ladysmith 3w, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 111 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dewey?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Big Falls Hydro, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Dewey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 147 frost-free days, at Big Falls Hydro, WI.
What growing zone is Dewey in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dewey?
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 Dewey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dewey.
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.