APPOMATTOX (Shipwreck) · Public domainJuly in Shorewood stays fresher than in 92% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 16°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 64° apart. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 81% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 26; in half of years the first frost comes by October 18.
A year in Shorewood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shorewood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shorewood’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Shorewood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Mary College, WI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shorewood’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shorewood
90% 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 Mt Mary College, WI.
Living with Shorewood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 50% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shorewood from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shorewood and its neighbors
Milwaukee has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 1° colder) and Milwaukee the hottest July afternoons (82°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Shorewood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shorewood, WI | 16° | 80° | 34" | 49" |
| Le Roy, NY | 17° | 80° | 35" | 52" |
| Haslett, MI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 46" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Lorain, OH | 22° | 82° | 38" | 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 Shorewood averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
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 Shorewood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shorewood’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Shorewood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shorewood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Milwaukee Mitchell Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | 1.6" | 14.9" | 11 | 20 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 33° | 19° | 1.6" | 11.8" | 10 | 17 | 14° – 36° |
| March | 42° | 27° | 2.0" | 6.7" | 11 | 8 | 27° – 49° |
| April | 53° | 36° | 3.7" | 2.1" | 12 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 79° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 72° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 43° | 2.8" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 2.1" | 2.5" | 10 | 2 | 30° – 48° |
| December | 35° | 22° | 1.9" | 10.4" | 10 | 11 | 16° – 38° |
| Year | 56° | 40° | 34.1" | 48.7" | 126 | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Shorewood’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 Shorewood’s center.
- Snow: Milwaukee Mitchell Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Mary College, WI, 7 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 Shorewood’s climate
What is the weather like in Shorewood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shorewood in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Shorewood get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shorewood?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 63°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Mt Mary College, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Shorewood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 173 frost-free days, at Mt Mary College, WI.
What growing zone is Shorewood in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shorewood?
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 Shorewood 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 Shorewood.
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.