Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Vance Creek
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. Only 77° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 90% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 10; in half of years the first frost comes by September 29.
A year in Vance Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vance Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vance Creek’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Vance Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ridgeland 1nne, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vance Creek’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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ridgeland 1nne, WI, falls mostly in February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vance Creek
96% 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 Ridgeland 1nne, WI.
Living with Vance Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 40% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vance Creek from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vance Creek and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Vance Creek in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Vance Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vance Creek, WI | 4° | 81° | 34" | 51" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Fairmont, MN | 7° | 83° | 32" | 47" |
| Iron Mountain, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Vance Creek averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger 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 Vance Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vance Creek’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Vance Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vance Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ridgeland 1nne, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 4° | 1.0" | 9.5" | 6 | 29 | 1° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 1.0" | 11.4" | 5 | 26 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 19° | 1.8" | 10.9" | 7 | 20 | 21° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 3.1" | 3.3" | 10 | 4 | 33° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 36° | 3.0" | 0.6" | 9 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 40° | 24° | 1.9" | 4.1" | 7 | 4 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 27° | 12° | 1.3" | 11.2" | 7 | 22 | 5° – 30° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 34.4" | 51.0" | 103 | 107 |
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 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Vance Creek’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 Vance Creek’s center.
- Snow: Ridgeland 1nne, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ridgeland 1nne, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Vance Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Vance Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 160 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vance Creek in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Vance Creek get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Ridgeland 1nne, WI, most of it in February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 107 days a year.
How hot does it get in Vance Creek?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Ridgeland 1nne, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Vance Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 140 frost-free days, at Ridgeland 1nne, WI.
What growing zone is Vance Creek 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 Vance Creek?
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 Vance Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vance Creek.
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.