Mead has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
July afternoons average 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.6°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Mead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mead’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Mead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Owen 1e, WI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mead’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 Stanley Wwtp, WI, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mead
96% 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 Owen 1e, WI.
Living with Mead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mead from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mead and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Mead in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Mead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mead, WI | 5° | 80° | 33" | 52" |
| Big Lake, MN | 4° | 81° | 31" | 49" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
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 Mead averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Mead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mead’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Mead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stanley Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 5° | 1.0" | 10.7" | 8 | 1° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 1.1" | 10.4" | 6 | 5° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 1.7" | 10.4" | 8 | 20° – 46° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 3.1" | 3.7" | 11 | 33° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 12 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.9" | 1.1" | 10 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 24° | 1.8" | 4.0" | 7 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 1.3" | 11.4" | 9 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 33.3" | 52.0" | 115 |
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 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Mead’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 Mead’s center.
- Snow: Stanley Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Owen 1e, WI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Mead’s climate
What is the weather like in Mead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 181 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mead in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Mead get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Stanley Wwtp, WI, most of it in January, February, March and December.
How hot does it get in Mead?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Owen 1e, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Mead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Owen 1e, WI.
What growing zone is Mead in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mead?
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 Mead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mead.
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.