Madison, WI Climate


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Madison, WI has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. The city experiences four distinct seasons with mild temperatures throughout the year. Summertime temperatures typically range from the mid-70s to the low 80s, while in winter months the temperatures drop to between 10–20 °F. Precipitation is higher in summer months, but snow can be expected during winter months as well. Overall, Madison enjoys moderate weather conditions that make it an ideal location for both outdoor recreation and city living.

Madison, Wisconsin gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Madison averages 42 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 187 sunny days per year in Madison. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Madison gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 115 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.


Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 82 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 10
Rain: averages 36 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 42 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Madison is 6.7 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Wisconsin.

9.2 Summer - 4.1 Winter
August, June and July are the most pleasant months in Madison, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateMadison, WisconsinUnited States
  36.1 in.38.1 in.
  42.4 in.27.8 in.
  114.9 days106.2 days
  187 days205 days
  81.9°85.8°
  10.2°21.7°
  6.77
  3.34.3
  873 ft.2443 ft.
Climate
YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Madison with an average high temperature of 81.9°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Wisconsin. In Madison, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Madison are June, August and July.
In Madison, there are 6.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Wisconsin.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Madison with an average of 10.2°. This is warmer than most places in Wisconsin.
In Madison, there are 149.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Wisconsin.
In Madison, there are 17.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Wisconsin.
The humidity is usually comfortable in Madison but some summer months can be sticky or muggy. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months are July, August and June.
June is the wettest month in Madison with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.2 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 36% of yearly precipitation and 13% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 36.1 inches in Madison means that it is one of the wettest places in Wisconsin.
May is the rainiest month in Madison with 11.8 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 7.5 rainy days. There are 114.9 rainy days annually in Madison, which is rainier than most places in Wisconsin. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 42.4 inches in Madison means that it is about average compared to other places in Wisconsin. December is the snowiest month in Madison with 11.3 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
Reviews for Madison
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Unfortunately, a number of these reviews are politically based. Madison remains the only shining star in Wisconsin’s economy. The economy is broadly based, with  More

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Have been living in Madison for almost 3 years. It’s very safe, ppl generally friendly and for a town of its size it has fair number of good restaurants and interesting  More

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Lacks balance and zero accountability.   More

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