Photo: Bfkenney · CC BY-SA 4.0Milwaukee’s winters are colder than most of the U.S., with about 49 inches of snow in Milwaukee Mitchell Airport
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Milwaukee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Milwaukee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Milwaukee’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Milwaukee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, 8 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Milwaukee’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Milwaukee
89% 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 Milwaukee Mitchell Airport.
Living with Milwaukee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 87 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 53% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Milwaukee from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Milwaukee and its neighbors
Menomonee Falls has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Milwaukee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 15° | 82° | 35" | 49" |
| Bath, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 48" |
| Holly, MI | 16° | 82° | 33" | 52" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Nappanee, IN | 17° | 83° | 39" | 45" |
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 Milwaukee averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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. In a city of 562,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Milwaukee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Milwaukee’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Milwaukee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Milwaukee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Milwaukee Mitchell Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 1.6" | 14.9" | 11 | 20 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 33° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.8" | 10 | 17 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 2.0" | 6.7" | 11 | 8 | 27° – 49° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.7" | 2.1" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 31° | 2.1" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 1.9" | 10.4" | 10 | 11 | 16° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 34.5" | 48.7" | 126 | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Milwaukee’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 Milwaukee’s center.
- Snow: Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, 8 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Milwaukee’s climate
What is the weather like in Milwaukee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Milwaukee in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Milwaukee get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.
How hot does it get in Milwaukee?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Milwaukee Mitchell Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Milwaukee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 192 frost-free days, at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport.
What growing zone is Milwaukee in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Milwaukee?
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 Milwaukee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Milwaukee.
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.