A. D. German Wholesale Company and Warehouse, Additional Documentation · Photo: Lowell Boileau · CC BY-SA 3.0Nights turn raw in Richland Center each January, colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. Seasons differ by 73°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 75% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 70–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Richland Center at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richland Center’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richland Center’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Richland Center 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, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richland Center’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 February 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 Richland Center
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 Richland Center’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richland Center from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richland Center and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Richland Center in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Richland Center’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Center, WI | 10° | 83° | 37" | 40" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Cottage Grove, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| 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 Richland Center averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
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 Richland Center compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richland Center’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Richland Center weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richland Center’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 | 28° | 10° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 10 | 23 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 13° | 1.2" | 9.8" | 8 | 21 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.0" | 5.0" | 8 | 11 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 3.8" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 27° | 2.0" | 2.4" | 8 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 1.4" | 10.7" | 10 | 17 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 36.7" | 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 Richland Center’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 Richland Center’s center.
- Snow: Richland Ctr, WI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richland Ctr, WI, 0.6 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 Richland Center’s climate
What is the weather like in Richland Center?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, 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 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richland Center 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 Richland Center 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 Richland Center?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Richland Ctr, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Richland Center?
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 Richland Center in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Richland Center?
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 Richland Center 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 Richland Center.
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.