Photo: User:Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 2.5Winter nights in Plain are colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. Seasons differ by 72°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 70–82°.
A year in Plain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Plain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Plain’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Plain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lone Rock Tri Co Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Plain’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Baraboo, 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 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Plain
92% 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 Lone Rock Tri Co Airport.
Living with Plain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Plain from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Plain and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Plain yet.
Climates most like Plain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain, WI | 10° | 82° | 37" | 43" |
| Mason City, IA | 8° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Northfield, MN | 6° | 82° | 35" | 43" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Plain averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger 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.
How Plain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Plain’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Plain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Plain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baraboo, 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" | 8 | 22 | 8° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 13° | 1.3" | 10.1" | 7 | 23 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.0" | 5.9" | 9 | 11 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 4.0" | 2.6" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 27° | 2.2" | 2.1" | 8 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 1.5" | 10.3" | 9 | 15 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 36.7" | 42.7" | 119 | 75 |
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 7°.
Where Plain’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 Plain’s center.
- Snow: Baraboo, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lone Rock Tri Co Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Plain’s climate
What is the weather like in Plain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Plain in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Plain get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Baraboo, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.
How hot does it get in Plain?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Lone Rock Tri Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Plain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 161 frost-free days, at Lone Rock Tri Co Airport.
What growing zone is Plain 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 Plain?
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 Plain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Plain.
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.