Capt. Alexander A. Arnold Farm · Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Galesville
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. Winter and summer sit 75° apart. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 77% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 29; autumn frost returns near October 11.
A year in Galesville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Galesville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Galesville’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Galesville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Trempealeau Dam 6, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Galesville’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Galesville 2wsw, WI, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Galesville
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 Trempealeau Dam 6, WI.
Living with Galesville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Galesville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Galesville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Galesville yet.
Climates most like Galesville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesville, WI | 8° | 82° | 36" | 39" |
| Algona, IA | 8° | 83° | 34" | 37" |
| Fairmont, MN | 7° | 83° | 32" | 47" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Galesville averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Galesville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Galesville’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Galesville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Galesville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Galesville 2wsw, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 8° | 1.1" | 8.5" | 7 | 25 | 5° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 1.1" | 8.2" | 6 | 23 | 8° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 1.9" | 7.1" | 8 | 13 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.6" | 2.0" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| October | 59° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 1.9" | 3.1" | 7 | 4 | 26° – 47° |
| December | 30° | 15° | 1.3" | 9.5" | 6 | 18 | 8° – 32° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 35.6" | 38.6" | 102 | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Galesville’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 Galesville’s center.
- Snow: Galesville 2wsw, WI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Trempealeau Dam 6, 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 Galesville’s climate
What is the weather like in Galesville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Galesville in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Galesville get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Galesville 2wsw, WI, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 83 days a year.
How hot does it get in Galesville?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Trempealeau Dam 6, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Galesville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 165 frost-free days, at Trempealeau Dam 6, WI.
What growing zone is Galesville in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Galesville?
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 Galesville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Galesville.
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.