Photo: Roger Puta · Public domainWhite Lake has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. A year here swings 73° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in White Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Lake’s place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in White Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Antigo, WI, 17 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Lake’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at White Lake 1 Se, WI, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Lake
97% 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 Antigo, WI.
Living with White Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 50% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around White Lake yet.
Climates most like White Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Lake, WI | 6° | 79° | 33" | 55" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
| Houghton Lake, MI | 12° | 81° | 33" | 66" |
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 White Lake averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 White Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Lake’s place among Wisconsin’s.
White Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from White Lake 1 Se, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 6° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 8 | 27 | 3° – 25° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 1.1" | 12.1" | 6 | 27 | 6° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.7" | 8.5" | 7 | 24 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 3.0" | 6.5" | 10 | 5 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 24° | 1.9" | 4.4" | 7 | 5 | 23° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 13° | 1.5" | 11.6" | 8 | 16 | 8° – 31° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 32.6" | 55.4" | 106 | 105 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where White Lake’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 White Lake’s center.
- Snow: White Lake 1 Se, WI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Antigo, WI, 17 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher; 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 White Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in White Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Lake in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 180 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 3°.
How much snow does White Lake get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at White Lake 1 Se, WI, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Lake?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Antigo, WI).
When is the first and last frost in White Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 139 frost-free days, at Antigo, WI.
What growing zone is White Lake in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit White Lake?
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 White Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Lake.
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.