Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Grow
High summer brings afternoon highs near 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 27, with the first autumn frost due around September 22.
A year in Grow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grow’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Grow feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 117 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 27 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ladysmith 3w, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grow’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sheldon, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grow
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ladysmith 3w, WI.
Living with Grow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
117 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 27 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grow from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grow and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grow in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grow’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grow, WI | 3° | 79° | 33" | 42" |
| Brainerd, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 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 Grow averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A smaller 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 Grow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grow’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Grow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grow’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sheldon, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 1.1" | 9.7" | 7 | 1° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 1.0" | 8.5" | 5 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.6" | 6.7" | 6 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 2.8" | 2.6" | 9 | 30° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.7" | 7 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 24° | 1.8" | 3.7" | 6 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 1.3" | 10.1" | 7 | 6° – 30° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 32.5" | 42.1" | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Grow’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 Grow’s center.
- Snow: Sheldon, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ladysmith 3w, 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 Grow’s climate
What is the weather like in Grow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 123 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grow in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 45 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Grow get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Sheldon, WI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Grow?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Ladysmith 3w, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Grow?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 27 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 117 frost-free days, at Ladysmith 3w, WI.
What growing zone is Grow in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Grow?
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 Grow getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grow.
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.