Rock Springs, Wisconsin climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Rock Springs's normal year runs from 12°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.1°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 27°C.
- NOAA stationRock Springs (3 mi SW)
- Station IDUSC00477319
- Location43.45°N 89.97°W
- Elevation1,260 ft (384 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population351
On October 23, the normal high in Rock Springs is 55°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Rock Springs.
- Jan 25° 12°
- Feb 30° 14°
- Mar 43° 26°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 68° 48°
- Jun 76° 59°
- Jul 80° 62°
- Aug 77° 61°
- Sep 71° 53°
- Oct 58° 42°
- Nov 44° 29°
- Dec 30° 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 Rock Springs each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 12°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°F | 12°F | 18.4°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 30°F | 14°F | 22.3°F | – | <1 | 26 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 43°F | 26°F | 34.1°F | – | <1 | 24 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 57°F | 36°F | 46.6°F | – | <1 | 10 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 68°F | 48°F | 58.0°F | – | <1 | 1 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 76°F | 59°F | 67.3°F | – | <1 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| July | 80°F | 62°F | 70.9°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 77°F | 61°F | 68.9°F | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 71°F | 53°F | 62.2°F | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 58°F | 42°F | 50.2°F | – | <1 | 5 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 44°F | 29°F | 36.4°F | – | <1 | 20 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 30°F | 18°F | 23.9°F | – | <1 | 29 | 9 h |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 38°F | 46.6°F | – | 2 | 145 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°C | −11°C | −7.6°C |
| February | −1°C | −10°C | −5.4°C |
| March | 6°C | −4°C | 1.2°C |
| April | 14°C | 2°C | 8.1°C |
| May | 20°C | 9°C | 14.4°C |
| June | 24°C | 15°C | 19.6°C |
| July | 27°C | 17°C | 21.6°C |
| August | 25°C | 16°C | 20.5°C |
| September | 22°C | 12°C | 16.8°C |
| October | 15°C | 6°C | 10.1°C |
| November | 6°C | −1°C | 2.4°C |
| December | −1°C | −8°C | −4.5°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Reedsburg (6 miles away), gets 44 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00477319; 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 Rock Springs?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
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 USC00477319.
When is the last frost in Rock Springs?
In Rock Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 24 in half of years and after May 7 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 20 in half of years and before October 1 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 241 year in 10 after May 7; 9 in 10 after April 10
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 201 year in 10 before October 1; 9 in 10 before November 1
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 178 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 201 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 13 in half of springs and before October 31 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Rock Springs in zone 5a in ZIP code 53961, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Wisconsin · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00477319; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Rock Springs?
In a normal year in Rock Springs, 2 days a year reach 90°F and 145 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 145a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 68high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00477319.
How sunny is Rock Springs?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Rock Springs, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (60%).
| 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 Rock Springs need?
A normal year in Rock Springs brings 7,217 heating degree days, 34% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 548 cooling degree days, 40% 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 2,614 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,444 | 0 |
| February | 1,195 | 0 |
| March | 958 | 0 |
| April | 555 | 1 |
| May | 245 | 26 |
| June | 53 | 122 |
| July | 9 | 192 |
| August | 23 | 143 |
| September | 141 | 57 |
| October | 464 | 7 |
| November | 857 | 0 |
| December | 1,274 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,217 | 548 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00477319. 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.
How does Rock Springs's climate compare?
Rock Springs is warmer than 123 of the other 164 places with their own NOAA record in Wisconsin. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 46.6°F is warmer than 26%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Rock Springs share this climate record?
2 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.
- North Freedom, WI579 people · 6 mi E
- Loganville, WI291 people · 3 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.
Questions about Rock Springs's climate
What is the coldest month in Rock Springs?
January, with a normal high of 25°F and a normal low of 12°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 62°F at night).
Does it snow in Rock Springs?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Rock Springs's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Reedsburg (6 miles away), records 44 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Rock Springs in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Rock Springs in zone 5a in ZIP code 53961, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Rock Springs?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 24; in one year in ten it comes after May 7. Waiting until May 7 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Wisconsin climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Reedsburg, WI6 miles from this station, 46.3°F a year
- Baraboo, WI12 miles from this station, 46.6°F a year
- Wisconsin Dells, WI15 miles from this station, 45.7°F a year
- Sauk City, WI17 miles from this station, 45.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made