Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0January in Fond du Lac bites harder than in 93% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Fond du Lac at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fond du Lac’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fond du Lac’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Fond du Lac feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fond du Lac’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. 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 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fond du Lac
94% 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 Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI.
Living with Fond du Lac’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 1 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fond du Lac from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fond du Lac and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fond du Lac in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fond du Lac’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac, WI | 10° | 82° | 32" | 38" |
| West St. Paul, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Milford, MI | 15° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
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 Fond du Lac averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Fond du Lac compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fond du Lac’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Fond du Lac weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fond du Lac’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 10° | 1.2" | 10.8" | 8 | 23 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 30° | 13° | 1.1" | 9.9" | 7 | 22 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 8 | 10 | 25° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 3.2" | 2.4" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 28° | 2.0" | 1.7" | 8 | 3 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.4" | 7.1" | 7 | 15 | 12° – 35° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 32.2" | 38.0" | 109 | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Fond du Lac’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 Fond du Lac’s center.
- Snow: Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, 1.7 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 Fond du Lac’s climate
What is the weather like in Fond du Lac?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fond du Lac in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Fond du Lac get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fond du Lac?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Fond du Lac?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 162 frost-free days, at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Fond du Lac in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fond du Lac?
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 Fond du Lac getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fond du Lac.
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.