Photo: Iulus Ascanius at English Wikipedia · Public domainEllsworth’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ellsworth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellsworth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellsworth’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Ellsworth feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ellsworth 1e, WI, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellsworth’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Red Wing, MN, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. 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 Ellsworth
96% 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 Ellsworth 1e, WI.
Living with Ellsworth’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellsworth from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellsworth and its neighbors
Trimbelle the hottest July afternoons (82°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ellsworth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth, WI | 6° | 81° | 35" | 44" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Worthington, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 45" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
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 Ellsworth averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Ellsworth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellsworth’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Ellsworth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellsworth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Red Wing, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 1.0" | 10.7" | 9 | 24 | 3° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 9° | 1.0" | 10.0" | 7 | 21 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 1.8" | 8.4" | 8 | 14 | 21° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 3.0" | 2.4" | 11 | 2 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 78° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 40° | 25° | 1.7" | 3.8" | 8 | 4 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 27° | 13° | 1.2" | 8.7" | 8 | 17 | 6° – 29° |
| Year | 53° | 35° | 34.7" | 44.1" | 118 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ellsworth’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 Ellsworth’s center.
- Snow: Red Wing, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ellsworth 1e, WI, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Ellsworth’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellsworth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellsworth in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Ellsworth get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Red Wing, MN, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ellsworth?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 61°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Ellsworth 1e, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Ellsworth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 139 frost-free days, at Ellsworth 1e, WI.
What growing zone is Ellsworth in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ellsworth?
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 Ellsworth getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ellsworth.
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.