Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Manitowoc
On a normal January night the air cools to about 13°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 66°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 30, with the first autumn frost due around October 20.
A year in Manitowoc at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Manitowoc’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Manitowoc’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Manitowoc feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Manitowoc, WI, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Manitowoc’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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Manitowoc, 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 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Manitowoc
95% 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 Manitowoc, WI.
Living with Manitowoc’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Manitowoc from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Manitowoc and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Manitowoc in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Manitowoc’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc, WI | 13° | 79° | 32" | 35" |
| Southport, NY | 15° | 80° | 38" | 42" |
| Alpena, MI | 14° | 78° | 31" | 59" |
| Oakdale, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 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 Manitowoc averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Manitowoc compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Manitowoc’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Manitowoc weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Manitowoc’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Manitowoc, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 13° | 1.6" | 7.8" | 8 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 30° | 15° | 1.2" | 10.0" | 7 | 11° – 32° |
| March | 40° | 24° | 1.9" | 3.2" | 7 | 24° – 44° |
| April | 51° | 34° | 3.2" | 1.4" | 9 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 63° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 54° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 51° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 45° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.2" | 0.9" | 8 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 32° | 19° | 1.7" | 11.1" | 7 | 14° – 36° |
| Year | 54° | 37° | 32.3" | 34.6" | 104 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Manitowoc’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 Manitowoc’s center.
- Snow: Manitowoc, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Manitowoc, 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.
- 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 Manitowoc’s climate
What is the weather like in Manitowoc?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Manitowoc in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Manitowoc get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Manitowoc, WI, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Manitowoc?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Manitowoc, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Manitowoc?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 171 frost-free days, at Manitowoc, WI.
What growing zone is Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc?
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 Manitowoc getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Manitowoc.
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.