Hawkins sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 79° on average. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 76° apart. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 95% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Hawkins at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hawkins’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hawkins’ place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Hawkins feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jump Rvr 3e, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hawkins’ center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jump Rvr 3e, 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 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hawkins
97% 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 Jump Rvr 3e, WI.
Living with Hawkins’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 20 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hawkins from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hawkins and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hawkins in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hawkins’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkins, WI | 3° | 79° | 33" | 70" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Grand Rapids, MN | −2° | 79° | 28" | 60" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 80° | 40" | 87" |
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 Hawkins averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Hawkins compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hawkins’ place among Wisconsin’s.
Hawkins weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hawkins’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jump Rvr 3e, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 1.1" | 17.2" | 8 | 29 | 0° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 1.0" | 13.7" | 6 | 27 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.0" | 7 | 22 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.8" | 3.9" | 9 | 4 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.8" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.9" | 6.2" | 7 | 8 | 21° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 1.3" | 17.0" | 8 | 26 | 6° – 29° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 32.6" | 70.4" | 103 | 115 |
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 Hawkins’ 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 Hawkins’ center.
- Snow: Jump Rvr 3e, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jump Rvr 3e, 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 Hawkins’ climate
What is the weather like in Hawkins?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 118 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hawkins in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Hawkins get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Jump Rvr 3e, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 115 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hawkins?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Jump Rvr 3e, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Hawkins?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 125 frost-free days, at Jump Rvr 3e, WI.
What growing zone is Hawkins in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hawkins?
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 Hawkins getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hawkins.
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.