Herbster has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 77°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in February. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Herbster at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Herbster’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Herbster’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Herbster feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Port Wing, WI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Herbster’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Madeline Island, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Herbster
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 Port Wing, WI.
Living with Herbster’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 31 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Herbster from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Herbster and its neighbors
Clover has the coldest January nights next door (4°, 2° colder) and Clover the hottest July afternoons (78°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Herbster’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbster, WI | 6° | 77° | 30" | 74" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| St. Joseph, MN | 3° | 81° | 30" | 57" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 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 Herbster averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Herbster compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Herbster’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Herbster weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Herbster’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madeline Island, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 1.2" | 18.8" | 11 | 1° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 1.0" | 14.1" | 8 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.5" | 11.5" | 8 | 19° – 40° |
| April | 49° | 29° | 2.5" | 5.3" | 10 | 32° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 45° – 55° |
| June | 71° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 56° – 62° |
| July | 77° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 75° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 36° | 3.1" | 0.7" | 12 | 39° – 48° |
| November | 39° | 25° | 1.9" | 6.4" | 10 | 23° – 41° |
| December | 27° | 13° | 1.6" | 16.4" | 11 | 8° – 29° |
| Year | 50° | 31° | 30.4" | 73.5" | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Herbster’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 Herbster’s center.
- Snow: Madeline Island, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Port Wing, WI, 8 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 Herbster’s climate
What is the weather like in Herbster?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Herbster in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Herbster get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Madeline Island, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Herbster?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 55°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Port Wing, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Herbster?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 123 frost-free days, at Port Wing, WI.
What growing zone is Herbster in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Herbster?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Herbster getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Herbster.
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.