Photo: Patriarca12 · CC BY 3.0West Milwaukee has colder winter nights than 85% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 82°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in West Milwaukee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Milwaukee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Milwaukee’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in West Milwaukee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 18. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at West Allis, WI, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Mt Mary College, WI, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Milwaukee’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 Mt Mary College, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Milwaukee
90% 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 Mt Mary College, WI.
Living with West Milwaukee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Milwaukee from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Milwaukee and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Milwaukee in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Milwaukee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Milwaukee, WI | 15° | 82° | 35" | 40" |
| Milford, MI | 15° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| Horseheads, NY | 16° | 82° | 36" | 42" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 West Milwaukee averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 West Milwaukee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Milwaukee’s place among Wisconsin’s.
West Milwaukee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Milwaukee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Mary College, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 1.6" | 11.0" | 10 | 20 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 33° | 18° | 1.6" | 9.9" | 9 | 17 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 27° | 2.1" | 5.3" | 9 | 7 | 27° – 49° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.7" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 31° | 2.2" | 2.0" | 9 | 2 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 1.9" | 9.8" | 10 | 12 | 16° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 34.6" | 39.5" | 120 | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where West Milwaukee’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 West Milwaukee’s center.
- Snow: Mt Mary College, WI.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Mt Mary College, WI, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: West Allis, WI, 1.6 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 West Milwaukee’s climate
What is the weather like in West Milwaukee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Milwaukee in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does West Milwaukee get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Mt Mary College, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 58 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Milwaukee?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Mt Mary College, WI).
When is the first and last frost in West Milwaukee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 173 frost-free days, at Mt Mary College, WI.
What growing zone is West Milwaukee in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Milwaukee?
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 West Milwaukee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Milwaukee.
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.