January in Waldo bites harder than in 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 3 to October 10.
A year in Waldo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waldo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waldo’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Waldo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Plymouth Wwtp, WI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waldo’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plymouth Wwtp, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Waldo
94% 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 Plymouth Wwtp, WI.
Living with Waldo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waldo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waldo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Waldo yet.
Climates most like Waldo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waldo, WI | 12° | 81° | 32" | 45" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Holly, MI | 16° | 82° | 33" | 52" |
| Lakeville, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
| Mason City, IA | 8° | 82° | 36" | 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 Waldo averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Waldo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waldo’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Waldo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Waldo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plymouth Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 12° | 1.5" | 12.4" | 9 | 24 | 9° – 31° |
| February | 30° | 15° | 1.3" | 11.0" | 9 | 22 | 11° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 24° | 1.9" | 5.9" | 9 | 10 | 25° – 46° |
| April | 54° | 34° | 3.4" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.0" | 2.3" | 9 | 2 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 32° | 18° | 1.7" | 10.7" | 9 | 13 | 14° – 35° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 32.0" | 44.7" | 121 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Waldo’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 Waldo’s center.
- Snow: Plymouth Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Plymouth Wwtp, WI, 4 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 Waldo’s climate
What is the weather like in Waldo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waldo in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Waldo get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Plymouth Wwtp, WI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Waldo?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Plymouth Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Waldo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 159 frost-free days, at Plymouth Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Waldo in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Waldo?
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 Waldo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Waldo.
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.