Mottley Family Farmstead · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0Winter nights in Willow Springs are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 78% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Willow Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Willow Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Willow Springs’ place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Willow Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Darlington Wwtp, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Willow Springs’ 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Darlington Wwtp, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Willow Springs
93% 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 Darlington Wwtp, WI.
Living with Willow Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Willow Springs from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Willow Springs and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Willow Springs in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Willow Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Springs, WI | 10° | 82° | 38" | 36" |
| Grinnell, IA | 12° | 84° | 38" | 31" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Albert Lea, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 40" |
| Elmira, NY | 16° | 81° | 38" | 42" |
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 Willow Springs averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Willow Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Willow Springs’ place among Wisconsin’s.
Willow Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Willow Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Darlington Wwtp, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 10° | 1.3" | 11.3" | 6 | 8° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.4" | 9.2" | 6 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 4.6" | 6 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 1.0" | 9 | 37° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.6" | 10 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 65° – 79° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.6" | 7 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.4" | 2.2" | 6 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 1.7" | 6.2" | 6 | 10° – 36° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 38.0" | 35.7" | 91 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Willow Springs’ 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 Willow Springs’ center.
- Snow: Darlington Wwtp, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Darlington Wwtp, WI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Willow Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Willow Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Willow Springs in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Willow Springs get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Darlington Wwtp, WI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Willow Springs?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Darlington Wwtp, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Willow Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 153 frost-free days, at Darlington Wwtp, WI.
What growing zone is Willow Springs 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 Willow Springs?
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 Willow Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Willow Springs.
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.