Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0Iron Belt gets about 140 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 83 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 77°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 73°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 97% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 24, with the first autumn frost due around September 28.
A year in Iron Belt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Iron Belt’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Iron Belt’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Iron Belt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hurley, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Iron Belt’s 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 140 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Upson, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Iron Belt
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 Hurley, WI.
Living with Iron Belt’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Iron Belt from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Iron Belt and its neighbors
Knight has the coldest January nights next door (3°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Iron Belt’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Belt, WI | 4° | 77° | 36" | 140" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
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 Iron Belt averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Iron Belt compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Iron Belt’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Iron Belt weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Iron Belt’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Upson, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 4° | 1.8" | 33.7" | 14 | 0° – 24° |
| February | 25° | 5° | 1.4" | 21.5" | 12 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.9" | 15.8" | 10 | 15° – 41° |
| April | 49° | 27° | 3.0" | 11.5" | 11 | 29° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.8" | 1.8" | 12 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 58° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 52° | 33° | 3.7" | 4.0" | 13 | 36° – 47° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 2.5" | 14.0" | 11 | 19° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 11° | 2.0" | 37.3" | 13 | 7° – 27° |
| Year | 50° | 30° | 36.3" | 139.6" | 142 |
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 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Iron Belt’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 Iron Belt’s center.
- Snow: Upson, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hurley, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Iron Belt’s climate
What is the weather like in Iron Belt?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 140 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 151 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Iron Belt in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 185 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Iron Belt get?
About 140 inches in a normal winter at Upson, WI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Iron Belt?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Hurley, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Iron Belt?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 128 frost-free days, at Hurley, WI.
What growing zone is Iron Belt 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 Iron Belt?
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 Iron Belt getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Iron Belt.
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.