Madison, WI Climate & Monthly Averages
Madison has a humid continental climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 81° by day; January is the coldest at 28°.
Winter sets the pace 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.
July
81° by day 65° at nightJanuary
28° by day 14° at nightThe cold-weather pattern in numbers
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.
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.
More climate facts for Madison
- 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%
From snow season to the warmest stretch in Madison
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.
The coldest and warmest values in the dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Planning around winter in Madison
The easier weather window
The best time to visit Madison is generally June to October, when these are the warmest and brightest weeks of the year. Daytime temperatures in that window sit near 75°F (24°C), with rain on about 10 days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in June.
Cold-weather packing
Pack for Madison with light clothing for the warm months, a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and a compact umbrella or rain shell. Note the gap between afternoon and night: July pairs 81°F (27°C) with 65°F (18°C).
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 14° | 9 | 1.8 in | 5.2 h/day | 9.3 h | 28% | 77% |
| February | 32° | 14° | 6 | 1.6 in | 7.1 h/day | 10.5 h | 23% | 72% |
| March | 45° | 27° | 10 | 2.9 in | 7.9 h/day | 11.8 h | 32% | 68% |
| April | 55° | 37° | 12 | 3.7 in | 8.6 h/day | 13.3 h | 40% | 66% |
| May | 68° | 50° | 13 | 4.2 in | 9.8 h/day | 14.6 h | 41% | 69% |
| June | 78° | 61° | 11 | 4.1 in | 11.4 h/day | 15.3 h | 37% | 68% |
| July | 81° | 65° | 10 | 3.6 in | 12.3 h/day | 15.1 h | 33% | 71% |
| August | 80° | 64° | 11 | 3.3 in | 11.2 h/day | 13.9 h | 35% | 72% |
| September | 74° | 58° | 10 | 3.9 in | 9.5 h/day | 12.4 h | 32% | 73% |
| October | 60° | 45° | 10 | 3.3 in | 7.1 h/day | 10.9 h | 33% | 71% |
| November | 46° | 32° | 8 | 2.3 in | 6.1 h/day | 9.6 h | 27% | 71% |
| December | 35° | 22° | 8 | 2.1 in | 4.9 h/day | 9.0 h | 24% | 75% |
The route from winter to summer, month by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Madison's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 5.2 h
- Daylight
- 9.3 h
- Snow
- 6 days
February
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 7.1 h
- Daylight
- 10.5 h
- Snow
- 4 days
March
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 7.9 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 3 days
April
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 8.6 h
- Daylight
- 13.3 h
- Snow
- 2 days
May
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 9.8 h
- Daylight
- 14.6 h
June
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 11.4 h
- Daylight
- 15.3 h
July
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 12.3 h
- Daylight
- 15.1 h
August
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 11.2 h
- Daylight
- 13.9 h
September
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 7.1 h
- Daylight
- 10.9 h
November
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 6.1 h
- Daylight
- 9.6 h
- Snow
- 2 days
December
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 4.9 h
- Daylight
- 9.0 h
- Snow
- 4 days
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Madison's coolest part of the year: January, February, December.
Where Madison sits among other climates
- Madison averages 49°F (9°C) across the year - cooler than all but 7% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.