Nights turn raw in Franklin each January, colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 78% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 9.
A year in Franklin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Franklin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Franklin’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Franklin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lone Rock Tri Co Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Franklin’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Baraboo, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Franklin
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 Lone Rock Tri Co Airport.
Living with Franklin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Franklin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Franklin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Franklin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Franklin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin, WI | 10° | 82° | 37" | 43" |
| Mason City, IA | 8° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Northfield, MN | 6° | 82° | 35" | 43" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
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 Franklin averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Franklin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Franklin’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Franklin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Franklin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baraboo, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 10° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 8 | 22 | 7° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 13° | 1.3" | 10.1" | 7 | 23 | 10° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.1" | 5.9" | 9 | 11 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 4.0" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 27° | 2.2" | 2.1" | 8 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 1.6" | 10.3" | 9 | 15 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 37.1" | 42.7" | 119 | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Franklin’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 Franklin’s center.
- Snow: Baraboo, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lone Rock Tri Co Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Franklin’s climate
What is the weather like in Franklin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Franklin in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Franklin get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Baraboo, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.
How hot does it get in Franklin?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Lone Rock Tri Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Franklin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 161 frost-free days, at Lone Rock Tri Co Airport.
What growing zone is Franklin in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Franklin?
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 Franklin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Franklin.
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.