Midwinter lows in Lima sink below those of 90% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.5° higher. From May to September, highs of 65–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Lima at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lima’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lima’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Lima feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hingham Wwtp, WI, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lima’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hingham Wwtp, WI, falls mostly in February 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 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lima
94% 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 Hingham Wwtp, WI.
Living with Lima’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 16.
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 Lima from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lima and its neighbors
Lyndon has the coldest January nights next door (12°, 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 Lima’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima, WI | 13° | 81° | 32" | 49" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Holly, MI | 16° | 82° | 33" | 52" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Lakeville, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
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 Lima averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
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 Lima compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lima’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Lima weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lima’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hingham Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 13° | 1.5" | 11.2" | 9 | 23 | 9° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 15° | 1.3" | 14.2" | 9 | 24 | 12° – 33° |
| March | 41° | 24° | 1.9" | 6.6" | 9 | 13 | 25° – 46° |
| April | 53° | 34° | 3.4" | 2.2" | 11 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 40° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.1" | 1.4" | 8 | 2 | 28° – 45° |
| December | 33° | 19° | 1.8" | 13.0" | 10 | 15 | 15° – 36° |
| Year | 55° | 37° | 32.1" | 48.6" | 125 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lima’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 Lima’s center.
- Snow: Hingham Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hingham Wwtp, WI, 2.9 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 Lima’s climate
What is the weather like in Lima?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lima in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Lima get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Hingham Wwtp, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lima?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Hingham Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Lima?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 165 frost-free days, at Hingham Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Lima in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lima?
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 Lima 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 Lima.
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.