Photo: Doremo · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Wagner
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 88% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Wagner at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wagner’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wagner’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Wagner feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stephenson 5wsw, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wagner’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marinette, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wagner
96% 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 Stephenson 5wsw, MI.
Living with Wagner’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 27.
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 →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wagner from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wagner and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wagner in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wagner’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagner, WI | 8° | 81° | 31" | 44" |
| Lakeville, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
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 Wagner averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Wagner compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wagner’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Wagner weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wagner’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marinette, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 1.3" | 11.7" | 10 | 25 | 6° – 27° |
| February | 30° | 9° | 1.1" | 11.1" | 8 | 25 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 1.7" | 7.6" | 8 | 16 | 20° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.8" | 3.4" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 26° | 2.1" | 1.9" | 9 | 3 | 25° – 42° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.6" | 8.0" | 9 | 16 | 13° – 33° |
| Year | 55° | 33° | 31.1" | 43.8" | 123 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wagner’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 Wagner’s center.
- Snow: Marinette, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stephenson 5wsw, MI, 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 Wagner’s climate
What is the weather like in Wagner?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wagner in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Wagner get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Marinette, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wagner?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Stephenson 5wsw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Wagner?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 126 frost-free days, at Stephenson 5wsw, MI.
What growing zone is Wagner in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wagner?
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 Wagner getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wagner.
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.