Potter Lake has colder winter nights than 89% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 76% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 5 to October 10.
A year in Potter Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Potter Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Potter Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Potter Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rochester Wwtp, WI, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Potter Lake’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Burlington, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Potter Lake
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 Rochester Wwtp, WI.
Living with Potter Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Potter Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Potter Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Potter Lake yet.
Climates most like Potter Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter Lake, WI | 13° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Horseheads, NY | 16° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Boone, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 36" |
| Charlotte, MI | 17° | 82° | 36" | 38" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
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 Potter Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Potter Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Potter Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Potter Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Potter Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Burlington, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 13° | 1.7" | 12.1" | 9 | 20 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.6" | 9.7" | 8 | 17 | 12° – 36° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 4.9" | 9 | 7 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.7" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.3" | 2.2" | 9 | 2 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 33° | 19° | 1.9" | 7.7" | 9 | 12 | 14° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 36.3" | 37.7" | 116 | 57 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Potter Lake’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 Potter Lake’s center.
- Snow: Burlington, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rochester Wwtp, WI, 9 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 Potter Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Potter Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Potter Lake in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Potter Lake get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Burlington, WI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Potter Lake?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Rochester Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Potter Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 156 frost-free days, at Rochester Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Potter Lake in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Potter Lake?
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 Potter Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Potter Lake.
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.