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Climate in Madison, Wisconsin: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Madison sits at 866 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Madison Dane Regional Airport, WI station, runs to a yearly mean of 47.0°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 71.9°F with typical highs of 82.1°F; the coldest is January, averaging 19.4°F with lows around 11.8°F. Across a normal year the city receives 37.1 in of precipitation and 51.8 in of snow. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the Madison climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

Madison climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Madison: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Madison's temperature range runs from 19.4°F in January to 71.9°F in July.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

Madison through the seasons

Winter in Madison averages highs of 27.0–32.3°F and lows of 11.8–18.2°F, a seasonal mean of 22.6°F. The three months together bring 4.6 in of precipitation — about 12% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 1.63 in. Snowfall averages 38.5 in over the season, most of it in January (13.7 in). Average temperatures sit below freezing, so this is the heart of the heating season: expect snow-covered ground, icy mornings, and short, cold days as the local norm rather than the exception.

Spring in Madison averages highs of 43.6–69.0°F and lows of 25.1–47.1°F, a seasonal mean of 46.3°F. The three months together bring 10.1 in of precipitation — about 27% of the city's yearly total — with May the wettest of the three at 4.10 in. Snowfall averages 9.7 in over the season, most of it in March (7.0 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 23.7°F from March to May, and by late spring Madison is firmly into mild territory, with May rainfall of 4.10 in to plan around.

Summer in Madison averages highs of 78.6–82.1°F and lows of 57.4–61.6°F, a seasonal mean of 69.9°F. The three months together bring 13.9 in of precipitation — about 38% of the city's yearly total — with June the wettest of the three at 5.28 in. It is a warm, usable summer: afternoons are hot enough for swimming and lake or coast time, while evenings usually cool off comfortably. It is also the storm season: June alone averages 5.28 in of rain, much of it in heavy downpours.

Fall in Madison averages highs of 44.8–72.9°F and lows of 28.7–51.0°F, a seasonal mean of 49.5°F. The three months together bring 8.4 in of precipitation — about 23% of the city's yearly total — with September the wettest of the three at 3.43 in. Snowfall averages 3.6 in over the season, most of it in November (3.0 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 25.3°F from September to November — and fall is when Madison's weather turns crisp and dry, with the first freezes arriving by November.

Best and worst months to visit Madison

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit Madison are:

JuneJulyAugust

June leads the list: average highs of 78.6°F, lows of 57.4°F, and 5.28 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, July and August, offer the same balance in Madison's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — deep-winter cold, with a mean temperature of 19.4°F and 1.47 in of precipitation plus 13.7 in of snow.

How Madison compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. Madison runs 10.7°F cooler than that typical city and wetter by 1.5 in a year, ranking #100 of 114 for annual warmth and #61 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 52.5°F, which puts it in the strongly continental, four-real-seasons camp.

Planning notes for Madison

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 5 months (January, February, March, November, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; highs reach the 80s on average in 1 months, but 90°F average highs never arrive; 5 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a Madison wardrobe to its utility bills.

Madison climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Madison Dane Regional Airport, WI (USW00014837), elevation 866 ft. Figures checked October 2026.