Photo: Shullsbadger · CC BY-SA 4.0Nights turn raw in Shullsburg each January, colder than in 93% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 82°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 70–82°.
A year in Shullsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shullsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shullsburg’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Shullsburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Darlington Wwtp, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shullsburg’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 Cuba City, WI, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shullsburg
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 Darlington Wwtp, WI.
Living with Shullsburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 46% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shullsburg from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shullsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shullsburg yet.
Climates most like Shullsburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shullsburg, WI | 11° | 82° | 39" | 40" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Boone, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 36" |
| Cobleskill, NY | 13° | 81° | 40" | 54" |
| Hillsdale, MI | 16° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
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 Shullsburg averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller 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 Shullsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shullsburg’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Shullsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shullsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cuba City, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 11° | 1.3" | 10.0" | 8 | 18 | 9° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 1.5" | 11.5" | 8 | 17 | 10° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.7" | 9 | 7 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.9" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.4" | 1.7" | 7 | 2 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.7" | 10.1" | 8 | 13 | 10° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 39.0" | 39.6" | 113 | 56 |
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 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Shullsburg’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 Shullsburg’s center.
- Snow: Cuba City, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Darlington Wwtp, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Shullsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Shullsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shullsburg in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Shullsburg get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Cuba City, WI, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shullsburg?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Darlington Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Shullsburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 153 frost-free days, at Darlington Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Shullsburg in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shullsburg?
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 Shullsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shullsburg.
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.