Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Wellington
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 73° apart. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Wellington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wellington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wellington’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Wellington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hillsboro 2sw, WI, 11 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wellington’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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ontario 3e, WI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February 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 Wellington
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 Hillsboro 2sw, WI.
Living with Wellington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 12 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wellington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wellington and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wellington in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wellington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington, WI | 7° | 81° | 37" | 41" |
| Elko New Market, MN | 7° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
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 Wellington averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Wellington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wellington’s place among Wisconsin’s.
Wellington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wellington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ontario 3e, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 1.2" | 11.1" | 7 | 25 | 5° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 1.1" | 8.3" | 6 | 24 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 1.9" | 6.4" | 7 | 14 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.6" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 2.1" | 2.0" | 7 | 3 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.5" | 11.5" | 8 | 18 | 9° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 36.5" | 41.1" | 103 | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wellington’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 Wellington’s center.
- Snow: Ontario 3e, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hillsboro 2sw, WI, 11 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Wellington’s climate
What is the weather like in Wellington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wellington in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Wellington get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Ontario 3e, WI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 86 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wellington?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hillsboro 2sw, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Wellington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 138 frost-free days, at Hillsboro 2sw, WI.
What growing zone is Wellington 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 Wellington?
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 Wellington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wellington.
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.