Kennan sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 78° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Kennan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kennan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kennan’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Kennan 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, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kennan’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 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 32 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 Kennan
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 Kennan’s 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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kennan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 42%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kennan and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Kennan in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kennan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennan, WI | 3° | 78° | 32" | 70" |
| Grand Rapids, MN | −2° | 79° | 28" | 60" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| 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 Kennan averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Kennan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kennan’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Kennan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kennan’s 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 | 21° | 3° | 1.1" | 17.2" | 8 | 29 | 0° – 24° |
| February | 27° | 5° | 1.0" | 13.7" | 6 | 27 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 1.6" | 11.0" | 7 | 22 | 19° – 43° |
| 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° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.8" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.9" | 6.2" | 7 | 8 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 1.3" | 17.0" | 8 | 26 | 5° – 29° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 32.4" | 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 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Kennan’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 Kennan’s center.
- Snow: Jump Rvr 3e, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jump Rvr 3e, WI, 11 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 Kennan’s climate
What is the weather like in Kennan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kennan 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 Kennan 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 Kennan?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Jump Rvr 3e, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Kennan?
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 Kennan 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 Kennan?
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 Kennan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kennan.
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.