La Follette’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in La Follette at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Follette’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Follette’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in La Follette feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Luck, WI, 18 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Follette’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 56 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spooner Ag Res Stn, WI, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Follette
94% 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 Luck, WI.
Living with La Follette’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Follette from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Follette and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of La Follette in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Follette’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 Follette, WI | 2° | 81° | 32" | 56" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Fergus Falls, MN | 0° | 81° | 26" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
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 Follette averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 Follette compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Follette’s place among Wisconsin’s.
La Follette weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Follette’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Spooner Ag Res Stn, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 2° | 0.9" | 11.3" | 8 | 29 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 0.9" | 9.6" | 6 | 27 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 1.5" | 9.4" | 7 | 19 | 20° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 2.7" | 4.8" | 10 | 4 | 31° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 23° | 1.7" | 6.2" | 7 | 7 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 1.2" | 13.2" | 9 | 22 | 5° – 29° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 31.8" | 55.7" | 112 | 109 |
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 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Follette’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 Follette’s center.
- Snow: Spooner Ag Res Stn, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Luck, WI, 18 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher; 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 Follette’s climate
What is the weather like in La Follette?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 85 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Follette in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does La Follette get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter at Spooner Ag Res Stn, WI, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 109 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Follette?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Luck, WI).
When is the first and last frost in La Follette?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 149 frost-free days, at Luck, WI.
What growing zone is La Follette in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Follette?
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 Follette getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Follette.
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.