Burnett County Abstract Company · Photo: Appraiser · CC BY-SA 3.0Grantsburg’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Grantsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grantsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grantsburg’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Grantsburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grantsburg, WI, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grantsburg’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grantsburg, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; July 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 Grantsburg
95% 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 Grantsburg, WI.
Living with Grantsburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grantsburg from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grantsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Grantsburg yet.
Climates most like Grantsburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grantsburg, WI | 3° | 82° | 32" | 52" |
| Worthington, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 45" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
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 Grantsburg averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Grantsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grantsburg’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Grantsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grantsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grantsburg, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 0.8" | 10.8" | 8 | 29 | 0° – 26° |
| February | 28° | 7° | 0.9" | 8.9" | 6 | 27 | 5° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 19° | 1.5" | 8.4" | 8 | 22 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.7" | 3.5" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 3.1" | 0.5" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 23° | 1.7" | 8.1" | 8 | 9 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 1.2" | 11.9" | 9 | 22 | 5° – 29° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 32.0" | 52.2" | 119 | 113 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Grantsburg’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 Grantsburg’s center.
- Snow: Grantsburg, WI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grantsburg, WI, 0.9 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 Grantsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Grantsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grantsburg in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Grantsburg get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Grantsburg, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 113 days a year.
How hot does it get in Grantsburg?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Grantsburg, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Grantsburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Grantsburg, WI.
What growing zone is Grantsburg in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Grantsburg?
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 Grantsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grantsburg.
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.