Madison, Wisconsin climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Madison's normal year runs from 12°F January nights to 82°F July afternoons, with 37.1 inches of precipitation and 52 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.3°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 28°C, 943 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMadison Dane County Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014837
- Location43.14°N 89.35°W
- Elevation866 ft (264 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population285,300
On October 14, the normal high in Madison is 61°F and the normal low 40°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 32%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Madison.
- Jan 27° 12°
- Feb 31° 15°
- Mar 44° 25°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 69° 47°
- Jun 79° 57°
- Jul 82° 62°
- Aug 80° 60°
- Sep 73° 51°
- Oct 60° 40°
- Nov 45° 29°
- Dec 32° 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 Madison each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 82°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 12°F. The most precipitation falls in June (5.28 in), the least in January (1.47 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 | 12°F | 19.4°F | 1.47 | 13.7 | 11 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 31°F | 15°F | 23.0°F | 1.52 | 12.8 | 10 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 44°F | 25°F | 34.4°F | 2.26 | 7.0 | 11 | <1 | 23 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 57°F | 36°F | 46.3°F | 3.78 | 2.6 | 13 | <1 | 10 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 69°F | 47°F | 58.1°F | 4.10 | 0.1 | 13 | <1 | 2 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 79°F | 57°F | 68.0°F | 5.28 | 0.0 | 12 | 2 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| July | 82°F | 62°F | 71.9°F | 4.51 | 0.0 | 10 | 4 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 80°F | 60°F | 69.7°F | 4.16 | 0.0 | 9 | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 73°F | 51°F | 62.0°F | 3.43 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 60°F | 40°F | 49.7°F | 2.77 | 0.6 | 10 | <1 | 7 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 45°F | 29°F | 36.7°F | 2.22 | 3.0 | 10 | <1 | 20 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 32°F | 18°F | 25.3°F | 1.63 | 12.0 | 10 | <1 | 28 | 9 h |
| Year (annual) | 57°F | 38°F | 47.0°F | 37.13 | 51.8 | 126 | 9 | 147 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −11°C | −7.0°C | 37 mm | 35 cm |
| February | 0°C | −9°C | −5.0°C | 39 mm | 33 cm |
| March | 6°C | −4°C | 1.3°C | 57 mm | 18 cm |
| April | 14°C | 2°C | 7.9°C | 96 mm | 7 cm |
| May | 21°C | 8°C | 14.5°C | 104 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 26°C | 14°C | 20.0°C | 134 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 28°C | 16°C | 22.2°C | 115 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 27°C | 15°C | 20.9°C | 106 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 23°C | 11°C | 16.7°C | 87 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 15°C | 4°C | 9.8°C | 70 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 7°C | −2°C | 2.6°C | 56 mm | 8 cm |
| December | 0°C | −8°C | −3.7°C | 41 mm | 30 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014837; 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 Madison?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September 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 USW00014837.
When is the last frost in Madison?
In Madison, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 1 in half of years and after May 16 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 10 in half of years and before September 26 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
- May 11 year in 10 after May 16; 9 in 10 after April 16
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 101 year in 10 before September 26; 9 in 10 before October 24
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 160 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 182 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 20 in half of springs and before October 22 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Madison in zones 5a to 5b across its 13 ZIP code areas (5b in 53704, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Madison's NOAA station is in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −14°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 USW00014837; 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 Madison ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Madison's 13 ZIP code areas run from zone 5a to 5b: 3 in 5a and 10 in 5b. 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 Madison?
In a normal year in Madison, 9 days a year reach 90°F, 147 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 126 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 9a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 147a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 59high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 126a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 15a normal year
The highest temperature in Madison's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1869) is 107°F, on July 14, 1936; the lowest is −37°F, on January 30, 1951.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1881, with 52.91 in; the snowiest season is 2007–08, with 101.4 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00014837; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record MSNthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Madison, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 60°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 62°F; the driest air comes in January (13°F). March is the windiest month (9.3 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (63%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°F | 73% | 63% | 7.8 mph | 43% | 43% |
| February | 19°F | 70% | 57% | 8.5 mph | 44% | 42% |
| March | 29°F | 63% | 47% | 9.3 mph | 45% | 37% |
| April | 39°F | 61% | 45% | 8.8 mph | 49% | 30% |
| May | 52°F | 67% | 50% | 7.1 mph | 54% | 22% |
| June | 60°F | 69% | 53% | 6.5 mph | 61% | 14% |
| July | 62°F | 72% | 54% | 5.8 mph | 62% | 14% |
| August | 59°F | 74% | 53% | 6.1 mph | 63% | 16% |
| September | 47°F | 71% | 51% | 7.1 mph | 57% | 23% |
| October | 34°F | 69% | 54% | 8.1 mph | 48% | 38% |
| November | 24°F | 74% | 62% | 8.0 mph | 43% | 45% |
| December | 16°F | 76% | 67% | 7.9 mph | 43% | 45% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014837. 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 Madison?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Madison, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (60%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 385th (with 30 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 66% | 1.7 |
| February | 73% | 2.8 |
| March | 72% | 3.8 |
| April | 67% | 4.6 |
| May | 70% | 5.5 |
| June | 75% | 6.1 |
| July | 80% | 6.2 |
| August | 78% | 5.3 |
| September | 77% | 4.2 |
| October | 68% | 2.8 |
| November | 66% | 1.8 |
| December | 60% | 1.3 |
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 Madison need?
A normal year in Madison brings 7,138 heating degree days, 33% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 627 cooling degree days, 31% fewer 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 2,669 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,413 | 0 |
| February | 1,175 | 0 |
| March | 951 | 1 |
| April | 562 | 2 |
| May | 252 | 36 |
| June | 47 | 137 |
| July | 9 | 221 |
| August | 20 | 166 |
| September | 151 | 59 |
| October | 480 | 6 |
| November | 848 | 0 |
| December | 1,232 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,138 | 627 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014837. 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 Madison been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 48.0°F, 1.0°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 47.0°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.7°F | +1.7°F | 22.82 | 36.6 |
| 2022 | 47.0°F | at normal | 37.38 | 44.4 |
| 2023 | 49.9°F | +2.9°F | 29.75 | 59.2 |
| 2024 | 50.9°F | +3.9°F | 48.47 | 45.1 |
| 2025 | 48.0°F | +1.0°F | 32.76 | 35.5 |
Over 153 complete years from 1869 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.0°F per century (+0.11°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00014837; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Madison's climate compare?
Madison is warmer than 138 of the other 164 places with their own NOAA record in Wisconsin, and wetter than 126. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 47.0°F is warmer than 28%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Madison 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 Madison 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.
- Sun Prairie, WI39,253 people · 6 mi NE
- Waunakee, WI16,363 people · 6 mi NW
- Cottage Grove, WI8,974 people · 8 mi SE
- Maple Bluff, WI1,327 people · 2 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Madison's climate
What is the coldest month in Madison?
January, with a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 12°F. The warmest is July (82°F by day, 62°F at night).
Does it snow in Madison?
Yes: 52 inches in a normal year, falling on 38 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (13.7 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Madison?
June, with 5.28 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 1.47 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Madison in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Madison in zones 5a to 5b across its 13 ZIP code areas (5b in 53704, the largest). By the same method at Madison's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −14°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 5b.
How late can frost come in Madison?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 1; in one year in ten it comes after May 16. Waiting until May 16 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Madison in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Wisconsin climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Uw Arboretum - Madison, WI8 miles from this station, 47.2°F a year
- Charmany Farm, WI9 miles from this station, 46.4°F a year
- Arlington, WI11 miles from this station, 46.0°F a year
- Lodi, WI16 miles from this station, 47.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made