La Crosse, Wisconsin climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
La Crosse's normal year runs from 11°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 35.2 inches of precipitation and 46 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.4°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 30°C, 895 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationLa Crosse Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014920
- Location43.88°N 91.25°W
- Elevation652 ft (199 m)
- Population51,049
On October 23, the normal high in La Crosse is 58°F and the normal low 39°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 29%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for La Crosse.
- Jan 27° 11°
- Feb 33° 14°
- Mar 46° 26°
- Apr 60° 38°
- May 72° 50°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 85° 65°
- Aug 83° 62°
- Sep 76° 54°
- Oct 62° 42°
- Nov 46° 30°
- Dec 33° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in La Crosse each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 11°F. The most precipitation falls in June (5.08 in), the least in February (1.19 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 11°F | 18.9°F | 1.25 | 11.8 | 10 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 33°F | 14°F | 23.3°F | 1.19 | 9.7 | 9 | <1 | 26 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 46°F | 26°F | 35.8°F | 2.04 | 7.3 | 10 | <1 | 24 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 60°F | 38°F | 49.0°F | 3.75 | 2.9 | 12 | <1 | 8 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 61.0°F | 4.33 | 0.0 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 82°F | 60°F | 71.0°F | 5.08 | 0.0 | 12 | 4 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 85°F | 65°F | 75.0°F | 4.23 | 0.0 | 10 | 7 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 83°F | 62°F | 72.8°F | 3.90 | 0.0 | 9 | 4 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 76°F | 54°F | 64.8°F | 3.63 | 0.0 | 10 | 2 | <1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 62°F | 42°F | 51.7°F | 2.49 | 0.3 | 9 | <1 | 5 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 46°F | 30°F | 37.6°F | 1.85 | 3.4 | 9 | <1 | 19 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 33°F | 18°F | 25.1°F | 1.49 | 10.9 | 10 | <1 | 28 | 9 h |
| Year (annual) | 59°F | 39°F | 48.9°F | 35.23 | 46.3 | 123 | 18 | 141 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −12°C | −7.3°C | 32 mm | 30 cm |
| February | 0°C | −10°C | −4.8°C | 30 mm | 25 cm |
| March | 8°C | −3°C | 2.1°C | 52 mm | 19 cm |
| April | 15°C | 4°C | 9.4°C | 95 mm | 7 cm |
| May | 22°C | 10°C | 16.1°C | 110 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 28°C | 16°C | 21.7°C | 129 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 30°C | 18°C | 23.9°C | 107 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 28°C | 17°C | 22.7°C | 99 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 24°C | 12°C | 18.2°C | 92 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 16°C | 5°C | 10.9°C | 63 mm | 1 cm |
| November | 8°C | −1°C | 3.1°C | 47 mm | 9 cm |
| December | 0°C | −8°C | −3.8°C | 38 mm | 28 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014920; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit La Crosse?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September. Of those, August has the fewest days with rain (9).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014920.
When is the last frost in La Crosse?
In La Crosse, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 23 in half of years and after May 6 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 17 in half of years and before October 3 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 231 year in 10 after May 6; 9 in 10 after April 9
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 171 year in 10 before October 3; 9 in 10 before November 1
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 177 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 198 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 12 in half of springs and before October 28 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts La Crosse in zone 5a across its 2 ZIP code areas (5a in 54601, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, La Crosse's NOAA station is in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −17°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Wisconsin · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00014920; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each La Crosse ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. La Crosse's 2 ZIP code areas are all in zone 5a. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in La Crosse?
In a normal year in La Crosse, 18 days a year reach 90°F, 141 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 123 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 18a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 141a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 59high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 123a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 13a normal year
The highest temperature in La Crosse's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1872) is 108°F, on July 14, 1936; the lowest is −43°F, on January 18, 1873.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2016, with 44.76 in; the snowiest season is 1961–62, with 78.7 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00014920; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record LSEthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is La Crosse, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 61°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 62°F; the driest air comes in January (12°F). March is the windiest month (9.7 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (62%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°F | 72% | 61% | 8.3 mph | 46% | 42% |
| February | 17°F | 68% | 55% | 8.7 mph | 49% | 39% |
| March | 29°F | 59% | 43% | 9.7 mph | 51% | 35% |
| April | 38°F | 56% | 40% | 9.2 mph | 51% | 31% |
| May | 53°F | 65% | 46% | 7.8 mph | 54% | 26% |
| June | 61°F | 67% | 50% | 7.9 mph | 61% | 17% |
| July | 62°F | 71% | 50% | 7.1 mph | 61% | 16% |
| August | 60°F | 72% | 51% | 7.5 mph | 62% | 17% |
| September | 47°F | 69% | 49% | 8.5 mph | 57% | 26% |
| October | 33°F | 67% | 51% | 9.1 mph | 49% | 38% |
| November | 22°F | 72% | 60% | 9.0 mph | 46% | 44% |
| December | 14°F | 74% | 65% | 8.5 mph | 46% | 44% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014920. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is La Crosse?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around La Crosse, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (62%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 352nd (with 32 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 69% | 1.8 |
| February | 75% | 2.9 |
| March | 71% | 3.8 |
| April | 67% | 4.6 |
| May | 70% | 5.5 |
| June | 74% | 6.1 |
| July | 80% | 6.3 |
| August | 78% | 5.3 |
| September | 77% | 4.2 |
| October | 69% | 2.8 |
| November | 67% | 1.9 |
| December | 62% | 1.4 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does La Crosse need?
A normal year in La Crosse brings 6,788 heating degree days, 26% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 942 cooling degree days, 4% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,200 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,427 | 0 |
| February | 1,166 | 0 |
| March | 907 | 1 |
| April | 486 | 6 |
| May | 181 | 59 |
| June | 24 | 206 |
| July | 3 | 311 |
| August | 8 | 248 |
| September | 105 | 99 |
| October | 422 | 12 |
| November | 821 | 0 |
| December | 1,237 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,788 | 942 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014920. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has La Crosse been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 48.8°F, 0.1°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 48.9°F. 3 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50.7°F | +1.8°F | 37.34 | 40.9 |
| 2022 | 47.3°F | −1.6°F | 29.92 | 34.9 |
| 2023 | 51.0°F | +2.1°F | 27.67 | 47.9 |
| 2024 | 51.6°F | +2.7°F | 37.62 | 29.8 |
| 2025 | 48.8°F | −0.1°F | 33.43 | 29.7 |
Over 151 complete years from 1873 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 1.2°F per century (+0.07°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00014920; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does La Crosse's climate compare?
La Crosse is warmer than 160 of the other 164 places with their own NOAA record in Wisconsin, and wetter than 91. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 48.9°F is warmer than 36%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, La Crosse is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near La Crosse share this climate record?
4 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Houston, MN970 people · 18 mi SW
- Hokah, MN535 people · 10 mi SW
- Dakota, MN290 people · 6 mi NW
- Dresbach, MN265 people · 5 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do La Crosse's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near La Crosse. This page uses La Crosse Regional Airport; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse Weather Office USC00474373 | 5 mi SE | 1,307 ft | 45.6°F | 8°F | 80°F | 37.5 | 54 | April 27 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about La Crosse's climate
What is the coldest month in La Crosse?
January, with a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 11°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 65°F at night).
Does it snow in La Crosse?
Yes: 46 inches in a normal year, falling on 33 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (11.8 inches).
What is the rainiest month in La Crosse?
June, with 5.08 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 1.19 in.
What plant hardiness zone is La Crosse in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts La Crosse in zone 5a across its 2 ZIP code areas (5a in 54601, the largest). By the same method at La Crosse's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −17°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 5a.
How late can frost come in La Crosse?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 23; in one year in ten it comes after May 6. Waiting until May 6 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- La Crosse in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Wisconsin climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- La Crescent, MN3 miles from this station, 48.1°F a year
- Trempealeau, WI12 miles from this station, 46.6°F a year
- Caledonia, MN21 miles from this station, 45.5°F a year
- Genoa, WI21 miles from this station, 48.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made