Henry Fiedler House · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0Nights turn raw in Orion each January, colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 81% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 70–82°.
A year in Orion at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orion’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orion’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Orion feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Richland Ctr, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orion’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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Richland Ctr, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orion
93% 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 Richland Ctr, WI.
Living with Orion’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orion from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orion and its neighbors
Avoca 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 Orion’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion, WI | 10° | 82° | 37" | 40" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Albert Lea, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 40" |
| 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 Orion averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Orion compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orion’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Orion weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orion’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Richland Ctr, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 10° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 10 | 23 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.2" | 9.8" | 8 | 21 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 5.0" | 8 | 11 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 27° | 2.1" | 2.4" | 8 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.5" | 10.7" | 10 | 17 | 10° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 36.6" | 40.4" | 120 | 76 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Orion’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 Orion’s center.
- Snow: Richland Ctr, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richland Ctr, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 Orion’s climate
What is the weather like in Orion?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orion in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Orion get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Richland Ctr, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 76 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orion?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Richland Ctr, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Orion?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 154 frost-free days, at Richland Ctr, WI.
What growing zone is Orion 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 Orion?
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 Orion getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orion.
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.