January in Marietta bites harder than in 94% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 83% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 69–82°.
A year in Marietta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Marietta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Marietta’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Marietta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Steuben 4 Se, WI, 3.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Marietta’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Steuben 4 Se, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Marietta
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 Steuben 4 Se, WI.
Living with Marietta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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. 6.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Marietta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Marietta and its neighbors
Boscobel the hottest July afternoons (83°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Marietta’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marietta, WI | 10° | 82° | 37" | 36" |
| Webster City, IA | 9° | 83° | 36" | 33" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Elko New Market, MN | 7° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 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 Marietta averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Marietta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Marietta’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Marietta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Marietta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Steuben 4 Se, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 10° | 1.3" | 10.0" | 6 | 22 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.2" | 9.5" | 5 | 22 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 5.5" | 7 | 11 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.9" | 1.4" | 9 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 44° | 28° | 2.2" | 1.8" | 6 | 3 | 28° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 17° | 1.5" | 7.9" | 6 | 17 | 9° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 37.3" | 36.3" | 91 | 74 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Marietta’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 Marietta’s center.
- Snow: Steuben 4 Se, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Steuben 4 Se, WI, 3.0 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 Marietta’s climate
What is the weather like in Marietta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Marietta in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 139 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 7°.
How much snow does Marietta get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Steuben 4 Se, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 74 days a year.
How hot does it get in Marietta?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Steuben 4 Se, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Marietta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Steuben 4 Se, WI.
What growing zone is Marietta in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Marietta?
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 Marietta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Marietta.
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.