Photo: Marcusvfx · CC BY 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Sand Lake
Sunny July days climb to about 78°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 76°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Sand Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sand Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sand Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Sand Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 194 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 42 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Couderay 7 W, WI, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sand Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 67 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Couderay 7 W, WI, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sand Lake
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 Couderay 7 W, WI.
Living with Sand Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 100 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 58% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sand Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sand Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sand Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Lake, WI | 2° | 78° | 35" | 67" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
| Massena, NY | 8° | 80° | 37" | 75" |
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 Sand Lake averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
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 Sand Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sand Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Sand Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sand Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Couderay 7 W, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 1.0" | 11.3" | 8 | 30 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 4° | 1.1" | 15.6" | 8 | 28 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 1.7" | 12.2" | 8 | 23 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 3.0" | 6.0" | 11 | 6 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 22° | 2.0" | 6.5" | 9 | 8 | 21° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 1.5" | 14.2" | 10 | 25 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 34.8" | 67.2" | 118 | 121 |
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 9°.
Where Sand 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 Sand Lake’s center.
- Snow: Couderay 7 W, WI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Couderay 7 W, WI, 1.2 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 Sand Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Sand Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 80 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sand Lake in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Sand Lake get?
About 67 inches in a normal winter at Couderay 7 W, WI, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 121 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sand Lake?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Couderay 7 W, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Sand Lake?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Couderay 7 W, WI, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 194 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 100 days.
What growing zone is Sand Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sand 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 Sand Lake 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 Sand 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.