Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Parrish
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 78°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 74°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 65–78°.
A year in Parrish at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Parrish’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Parrish’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Parrish feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rhinelander, WI, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Parrish’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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Summit Lake, WI, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Parrish
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 Rhinelander, WI.
Living with Parrish’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 22 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 77 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Parrish from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Parrish and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Parrish in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Parrish’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parrish, WI | 4° | 78° | 33" | 65" |
| Cloquet, MN | 0° | 78° | 31" | 71" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
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 Parrish averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Parrish compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Parrish’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Parrish weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Parrish’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Summit Lake, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 4° | 1.1" | 13.2" | 9 | 31 | 1° – 24° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 1.0" | 13.2" | 7 | 26 | 3° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 16° | 1.7" | 8.1" | 8 | 24 | 16° – 42° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 2.9" | 9.3" | 11 | 6 | 29° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.8" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 38° | 23° | 1.9" | 6.6" | 9 | 6 | 20° – 40° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 1.5" | 13.2" | 11 | 21 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 33.0" | 65.4" | 125 | 115 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Parrish’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 Parrish’s center.
- Snow: Summit Lake, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rhinelander, WI, 13 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 Parrish’s climate
What is the weather like in Parrish?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 137 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Parrish in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 185 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Parrish get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Summit Lake, WI, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 115 days a year.
How hot does it get in Parrish?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Rhinelander, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Parrish?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 125 frost-free days, at Rhinelander, WI.
What growing zone is Parrish 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 Parrish?
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 Parrish getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Parrish.
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.