Marathon sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
High summer brings afternoon highs near 80°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 92% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 6 to October 4.
A year in Marathon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Marathon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Marathon’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Marathon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wausau Dwtn Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Marathon’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Eau Pleine Reservoir, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Marathon
95% 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 Wausau Dwtn Airport.
Living with Marathon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Marathon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Marathon and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Marathon in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Marathon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon, WI | 6° | 80° | 33" | 54" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Houghton Lake, MI | 12° | 81° | 33" | 66" |
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 Marathon averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Marathon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Marathon’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Marathon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Marathon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eau Pleine Reservoir, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 1.2" | 14.1" | 11 | 3° – 26° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 1.1" | 10.9" | 9 | 6° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 19° | 1.7" | 6.9" | 9 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 3.0" | 5.2" | 11 | 32° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 13 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 78° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 40° | 25° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 9 | 23° – 42° |
| December | 28° | 13° | 1.5" | 10.6" | 12 | 8° – 31° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 33.1" | 54.0" | 132 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Marathon’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 Marathon’s center.
- Snow: Eau Pleine Reservoir, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wausau Dwtn Airport, 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 Marathon’s climate
What is the weather like in Marathon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Marathon in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Marathon get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Eau Pleine Reservoir, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Marathon?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Wausau Dwtn Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Marathon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 150 frost-free days, at Wausau Dwtn Airport.
What growing zone is Marathon in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Marathon?
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 Marathon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Marathon.
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.