Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Oakland
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 79°. A year here swings 76° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Oakland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oakland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oakland’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Oakland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pattison Ranger Staion, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oakland’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gordon, WI, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oakland
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 Pattison Ranger Staion, WI.
Living with Oakland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 53% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oakland from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oakland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Oakland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Oakland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland, WI | 2° | 79° | 32" | 60" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Alexandria, MN | 1° | 80° | 27" | 46" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| 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 Oakland averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Oakland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oakland’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Oakland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oakland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gordon, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 1.0" | 10.3" | 10 | 31 | −2° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 1.0" | 10.3" | 7 | 28 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 1.5" | 10.4" | 9 | 26 | 18° – 40° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 2.7" | 5.8" | 11 | 9 | 32° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 76° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.9" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 1.8" | 8.9" | 8 | 11 | 20° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.4" | 12.8" | 10 | 25 | 5° – 27° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 32.0" | 59.7" | 122 | 130 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Oakland’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 Oakland’s center.
- Snow: Gordon, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pattison Ranger Staion, WI, 7 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 Oakland’s climate
What is the weather like in Oakland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 88 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oakland in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 39 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does Oakland get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Gordon, WI, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 130 days a year.
How hot does it get in Oakland?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Pattison Ranger Staion, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Oakland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 135 frost-free days, at Pattison Ranger Staion, WI.
What growing zone is Oakland in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oakland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oakland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oakland.
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.