Photo: Bohao Zhao · CC BY 3.0La Crosse sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 4.8 times as much as February. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 73% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 70–83°.
A year in La Crosse at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Crosse’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Crosse’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in La Crosse feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at La Crosse Muni Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Crosse’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at La Crosse 4nnw, WI, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Crosse
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at La Crosse Muni Airport.
Living with La Crosse’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 50 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 39% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Crosse from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Crosse and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of La Crosse in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Crosse’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse, WI | 9° | 83° | 37" | 43" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Fairmont, MN | 7° | 83° | 32" | 47" |
| Rockford, IL | 13° | 84° | 37" | 37" |
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 La Crosse averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
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 La Crosse compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Crosse’s place among Wisconsin’s.
La Crosse weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Crosse’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from La Crosse 4nnw, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 9° | 1.2" | 9.1" | 9 | 23 | 6° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 12° | 1.1" | 10.9" | 8 | 24 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 1.9" | 6.8" | 9 | 12 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.9" | 2.6" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.8" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 28° | 1.9" | 1.6" | 8 | 2 | 27° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 16° | 1.4" | 11.6" | 11 | 17 | 9° – 33° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 36.5" | 42.9" | 126 | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Crosse’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 La Crosse’s center.
- Snow: La Crosse 4nnw, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: La Crosse Muni Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 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 La Crosse’s climate
What is the weather like in La Crosse?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Crosse in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does La Crosse get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at La Crosse 4nnw, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 78 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Crosse?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (La Crosse Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in La Crosse?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 177 frost-free days, at La Crosse Muni Airport.
What growing zone is La Crosse 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 La Crosse?
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 La Crosse 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 La Crosse.
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.