Jacob Weber House · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Wisconsin Dells
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 69–82°.
A year in Wisconsin Dells at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wisconsin Dells’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wisconsin Dells’ place in Wisconsin State beside it.
What a year in Wisconsin Dells feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wisconsin Dells, WI, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wisconsin Dells’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 Wisconsin Dells, WI, falls mostly in January. 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 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wisconsin Dells
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 Wisconsin Dells, WI.
Living with Wisconsin Dells’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wisconsin Dells from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wisconsin Dells and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wisconsin Dells in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wisconsin Dells’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Dells, WI | 9° | 82° | 37" | 41" |
| Charles City, IA | 8° | 82° | 37" | 38" |
| Faribault, MN | 6° | 82° | 35" | 43" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 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 Wisconsin Dells averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Wisconsin Dells compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wisconsin Dells’ place among Wisconsin State’s.
Wisconsin Dells weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wisconsin Dells’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wisconsin Dells, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 9° | 1.3" | 11.5" | 7 | 24 | 6° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 1.3" | 10.2" | 7 | 25 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.2" | 5.9" | 8 | 14 | 25° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 3.9" | 2.0" | 11 | 2 | 36° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.9" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 2.1" | 2.0" | 8 | 3 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 1.7" | 8.7" | 9 | 17 | 10° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 36.8" | 40.7" | 111 | 85 |
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 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wisconsin Dells’ 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 Wisconsin Dells’ center.
- Snow: Wisconsin Dells, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wisconsin Dells, WI, 2.1 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 Wisconsin Dells’ climate
What is the weather like in Wisconsin Dells?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wisconsin Dells in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Wisconsin Dells get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Wisconsin Dells, WI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 85 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wisconsin Dells?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Wisconsin Dells, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Wisconsin Dells?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 146 frost-free days, at Wisconsin Dells, WI.
What growing zone is Wisconsin Dells in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wisconsin Dells?
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 Wisconsin Dells getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wisconsin Dells.
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.