Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Middle Inlet
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 87% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 26, with the first autumn frost due around September 22.
A year in Middle Inlet at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Middle Inlet’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Middle Inlet’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Middle Inlet feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Crivitz High Falls, WI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Middle Inlet’s center in zone 5a: 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 58 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crivitz High Falls, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Middle Inlet
97% 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 Crivitz High Falls, WI.
Living with Middle Inlet’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 26 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Middle Inlet from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Middle Inlet and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Middle Inlet in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Middle Inlet’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Inlet, WI | 7° | 81° | 31" | 58" |
| Plymouth, MN | 6° | 82° | 32" | 54" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Houghton Lake, MI | 12° | 81° | 33" | 66" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
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 Middle Inlet averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Middle Inlet compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Middle Inlet’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Middle Inlet weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Middle Inlet’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crivitz High Falls, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 7° | 1.3" | 14.0" | 9 | 30 | 5° – 26° |
| February | 30° | 9° | 1.1" | 11.9" | 7 | 29 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 1.7" | 8.7" | 8 | 25 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 2.8" | 6.5" | 8 | 7 | 34° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 2.1" | 4.0" | 7 | 5 | 25° – 42° |
| December | 31° | 14° | 1.6" | 12.6" | 9 | 21 | 12° – 33° |
| Year | 55° | 32° | 31.1" | 58.3" | 106 | 117 |
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 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Middle Inlet’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 Middle Inlet’s center.
- Snow: Crivitz High Falls, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crivitz High Falls, WI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Middle Inlet’s climate
What is the weather like in Middle Inlet?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 58 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Middle Inlet in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 194 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 5°.
How much snow does Middle Inlet get?
About 58 inches in a normal winter at Crivitz High Falls, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 117 days a year.
How hot does it get in Middle Inlet?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Crivitz High Falls, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Middle Inlet?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 118 frost-free days, at Crivitz High Falls, WI.
What growing zone is Middle Inlet in?
Zone 5a 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 Middle Inlet?
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 Middle Inlet getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Middle Inlet.
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.