Elk Grove has colder winter nights than 93% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 81% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.1° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 30 to October 13.
A year in Elk Grove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Grove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk Grove’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Elk Grove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Platteville, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk Grove’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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cuba City, WI, falls mostly in February. 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 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Grove
92% 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 Platteville, WI.
Living with Elk Grove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elk Grove from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk Grove and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elk Grove in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elk Grove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Grove, WI | 11° | 82° | 38" | 40" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Albert Lea, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 40" |
| Cobleskill, NY | 13° | 81° | 40" | 54" |
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 Elk Grove averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Elk Grove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk Grove’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Elk Grove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk Grove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cuba City, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 11° | 1.3" | 10.0" | 8 | 18 | 9° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.4" | 11.5" | 8 | 17 | 9° – 36° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.2" | 4.7" | 9 | 7 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.4" | 1.7" | 7 | 2 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.7" | 10.1" | 8 | 13 | 10° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 38.3" | 39.6" | 113 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elk Grove’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 Elk Grove’s center.
- Snow: Cuba City, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Platteville, WI, 7 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 Elk Grove’s climate
What is the weather like in Elk Grove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk Grove in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 154 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 9°.
How much snow does Elk Grove get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Cuba City, WI, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elk Grove?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Platteville, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Elk Grove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 166 frost-free days, at Platteville, WI.
What growing zone is Elk Grove 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 Elk Grove?
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 Elk Grove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk Grove.
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.