Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad Passsenger Station · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0Rice Lake sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 91% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Rice Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rice Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rice Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Rice Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rice Lake, WI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rice Lake’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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rice Lake, WI, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rice Lake
95% 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 Rice Lake, WI.
Living with Rice Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 42% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rice Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rice Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rice Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rice 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Willmar, MN | 4° | 82° | 29" | 46" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
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 Rice Lake averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Rice Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rice Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Rice Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rice Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rice Lake, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 0.9" | 10.5" | 8 | 28 | 0° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 0.9" | 10.7" | 6 | 27 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 1.6" | 8.9" | 7 | 19 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 2.8" | 3.5" | 10 | 3 | 31° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 23° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 7 | 5 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 1.2" | 11.9" | 8 | 22 | 5° – 29° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 32.8" | 52.5" | 111 | 104 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rice 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 Rice Lake’s center.
- Snow: Rice Lake, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rice Lake, WI, 5 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 Rice Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Rice Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 104 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rice Lake in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Rice Lake get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Rice Lake, WI, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 104 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rice Lake?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 58°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Rice Lake, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Rice Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 145 frost-free days, at Rice Lake, WI.
What growing zone is Rice Lake 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 Rice 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 Rice Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rice 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.