Photo: Wonder al · CC BY-SA 3.0Lowell has colder winter nights than 93% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 81% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Lowell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lowell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lowell’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Lowell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beaver Dam Wwtp, WI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lowell’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Watertown Wwtp, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lowell
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 Beaver Dam Wwtp, WI.
Living with Lowell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 2 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: May, June, July, August and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lowell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lowell and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lowell in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lowell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell, WI | 11° | 82° | 35" | 37" |
| Oelwein, IA | 8° | 82° | 38" | 39" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Milford, MI | 15° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
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 Lowell averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Lowell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lowell’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Lowell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lowell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Watertown Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 11° | 1.4" | 11.0" | 8 | 21 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.3" | 9.7" | 8 | 19 | 10° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 2.0" | 4.4" | 8 | 7 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.7" | 1.6" | 12 | 1 | 36° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.1" | 1.4" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.6" | 8.5" | 10 | 12 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 35.4" | 37.0" | 123 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lowell’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 Lowell’s center.
- Snow: Watertown Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beaver Dam Wwtp, WI, 8 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 Lowell’s climate
What is the weather like in Lowell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lowell in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Lowell get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Watertown Wwtp, WI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lowell?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Beaver Dam Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Lowell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 157 frost-free days, at Beaver Dam Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Lowell in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lowell?
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 Lowell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lowell.
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.