Madison, WI Weather
Madison hourly forecast: next 24 hours
Today's high of 71°F (22°C) is about 3°F (2°C) below the typical September high of 74°F (23°C).
Current conditions in detail
Madison weather tomorrow (Wednesday, September 16)
Tomorrow in Madison looks overcast, with a high of 71° and an overnight low of 56°. Precipitation chance is modest at 16%. Winds top out near 10 mph, and the UV index reaches 4 (moderate).
Madison 14-day forecast
About the weather in Madison
Seasons are the whole story in Madison. The gap between an average July and an average January is 29°C - warm summers and cold, often snowy winters - which in practice means 81°F (27°C) afternoons at one end of the calendar and 28°F (-2°C) at the other.
Madison weather: quick facts
- Hottest month: July - highs near 81°F (27°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 28°F (-2°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 97°F (36°C) high · -28°F (-33°C) low
- Wettest month: May (13 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (12.3 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid continental
- Annual swing: 29°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 9°C
- Snow: about 21 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 5
- Average humidity: 71%
Temperatures through the year
July is the warm end of the year, averaging 81°F (27°C) by day and 65°F (18°C) overnight. January sits at the other end of the year: 28°F (-2°C) by day, 14°F (-10°C) at night. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 97°F (36°C) and bottoms at -28°F (-33°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. Precipitation concentrates in May - 4.2 inches (106 mm) on 13 days - and thins out by February.
Rain, sun and snow
July is the brightest month at 12.3 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 8.4. Snow falls on roughly 21 days a year, mostly November through April. Between the average July and the average January lie 29°C, a wider spread than 95% of the 3496 cities in our dataset. Three of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is August through September.
Season by season
Spring (March through May)
Spring is crisp but comfortable here - highs near 56°F (13°C), nights near 38°F (3°C), and rain falls on around 34 of the 90 days, plus about 5 snowy days.
Summer (June through August)
Summer in Madison is pleasantly warm, with daytime highs averaging 80°F (27°C) and nights around 63°F (17°C); rain falls on around 32 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.6 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Through fall, Madison runs cool rather than cold: 60°F (15°C) by day, 45°F (7°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 28 days across the season, plus about 2 snowy days.
Winter (December through February)
Winter brings deep cold here - highs near 32°F (0°C), nights near 17°F (-9°C), and expect showers on roughly 23 days across the season, plus about 13 snowy days. Wind sharpens cold like this considerably; pair the forecast winds with the wind speed converter to judge exposed conditions.
Average temperatures in Madison by month
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 14° | 9 | 1.8 in | 5.2 h/day | 77% |
| February | 32° | 14° | 6 | 1.6 in | 7.1 h/day | 72% |
| March | 45° | 27° | 10 | 2.9 in | 7.9 h/day | 68% |
| April | 55° | 37° | 12 | 3.7 in | 8.6 h/day | 66% |
| May | 68° | 50° | 13 | 4.2 in | 9.8 h/day | 69% |
| June | 78° | 61° | 11 | 4.1 in | 11.4 h/day | 68% |
| July | 81° | 65° | 10 | 3.6 in | 12.3 h/day | 71% |
| August | 80° | 64° | 11 | 3.3 in | 11.2 h/day | 72% |
| September | 74° | 58° | 10 | 3.9 in | 9.5 h/day | 73% |
| October | 60° | 45° | 10 | 3.3 in | 7.1 h/day | 71% |
| November | 46° | 32° | 8 | 2.3 in | 6.1 h/day | 71% |
| December | 35° | 22° | 8 | 2.1 in | 4.9 h/day | 75% |