Photo: college.library · CC BY 2.0Madison’s winters are colder than most of the U.S., with about 52 inches of snow in Madison Dane Rgnl Airport
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Madison at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madison’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madison’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Madison feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madison Dane Rgnl Airport, 6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madison’s center in zone 5b: 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Madison Dane Rgnl Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January 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 Madison
92% 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 Madison Dane Rgnl Airport.
Living with Madison’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 1 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 155 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Madison from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madison and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Madison in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Madison’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | 11° | 83° | 37" | 52" |
| Middlebury, VT | 10° | 82° | 39" | 59" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 82° | 39" | 61" |
| Kingsbury, NY | 11° | 83° | 40" | 60" |
| Mason City, IA | 8° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
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 Madison averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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. In a city of 286,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Madison compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madison’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Madison weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madison’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madison Dane Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 1.4" | 13.7" | 11 | 24 | 8° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.4" | 12.8" | 10 | 22 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.1" | 7.0" | 11 | 10 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.7" | 2.6" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.2" | 3.0" | 10 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 1.6" | 12.0" | 10 | 16 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 37.3" | 51.8" | 126 | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Madison’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 Madison’s center.
- Snow: Madison Dane Rgnl Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madison Dane Rgnl Airport, 6 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 Madison’s climate
What is the weather like in Madison?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madison in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Madison get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Madison Dane Rgnl Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 78 days a year.
How hot does it get in Madison?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Madison Dane Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Madison?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 160 frost-free days, at Madison Dane Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Madison in?
Zone 5b 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 Madison?
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 Madison getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Madison.
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.