Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than La Pointe
Deep winter brings January lows near 7°. Its January nights bite harder than in 97% of U.S. towns. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 70°. From June to September, highs of 68–77° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in La Pointe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Pointe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Pointe’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in La Pointe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madeline Island, WI, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Pointe’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 32 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 La Pointe
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 Madeline Island, WI.
Living with La Pointe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 Oct 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 34 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 67% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Pointe from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Pointe and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Pointe yet.
Climates most like La Pointe’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 Pointe, WI | 7° | 77° | 32" | 74" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How La Pointe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Pointe’s place among Wisconsin’s.
La Pointe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madeline Island, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 7° | 1.5" | 18.8" | 11 |
| February | 26° | 7° | 1.1" | 14.1" | 8 |
| March | 37° | 16° | 1.8" | 11.5" | 8 |
| April | 48° | 28° | 2.9" | 5.3" | 10 |
| May | 61° | 38° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 11 |
| June | 71° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 |
| July | 77° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 |
| August | 76° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 |
| September | 68° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 |
| October | 54° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.7" | 12 |
| November | 40° | 26° | 2.3" | 6.4" | 10 |
| December | 28° | 16° | 1.8" | 16.4" | 11 |
| Year | 51° | 32° | 31.5" | 73.5" | 120 |
Where La Pointe’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station (NOAA’s grid doesn’t cover Wisconsin).
- Snow: Madeline Island, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madeline Island, WI, 3 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.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about La Pointe’s climate
What is the weather like in La Pointe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Pointe in winter?
February nights average 7°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does La Pointe get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Madeline Island, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in La Pointe?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 56°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Madeline Island, WI).
When is the first and last frost in La Pointe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 140 frost-free days, at Madeline Island, WI.
What growing zone is La Pointe in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Pointe?
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.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Pointe.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.