Madison Weather, When to Go and Climate Information

(Madison, Wisconsin - WI, USA)

In common with the whole of Wisconsin, the climate of Madison is described as 'humid continental'. The weather tends to be both seasonal and variable, with bitterly cold winters, a fairly brief springtime and a very warm summer, followed by vibrant fall colors.

The cold winter season begins to make itself known towards the end of October, with frosty nights becoming commonplace in November. December, January and February are the coldest months by far, when daytime temperatures never stray too far from freezing and nighttime temperatures drop to -10°C / 14°F or lower.

Madison's winter climate is accompanied by periods of fairly heavy snowfall. Snowy weather can be expected in Wisconsin at anytime from October to April, and in the state capital, occasional snow flurries outside of this period are not unheard of, although are always quite insignificant and rarely settle.

Seasonal Climate Variations / When to Go

Daytime temperatures in Madison quickly begin to rise during April, and by the time that May is here, comfortably reach 20°C / 68°F on the sunniest days. The summer climate enjoys scorching days, with July being the hottest month and boasting peaks of around 30°C / 86°F or thereabouts. However, it is worth noting that the hottest days may well also feature noticeable high humidity, making the weather feel a little oppressive and uncomfortable at times.

The warmest months in Madison are also the wettest, with heavy showers and even the odd thunderstorm in between the fine weather and high temperatures. August averages around 4 inches / 10.2 cm of rainfall, while in January and February (the driest months), precipitation levels barely exceed 1 inch / 2.5 cm.

Madison Weather and Climate Chart (Averages)

	Maximum	Minimum
January	-4°C / 25°F	-14°C / 7°F
February	-1°C / 30°F	-12°C / 10°F
March	5°C / 41°F	-5°C / 23°F
April	14°C / 57°F	1°C / 34°F
May	21°C / 70°F	7°C / 45°F
June	26°C / 79°F	12°C / 54°F
July	28°C / 82°F	15°C / 59°F
August	26°C / 79°F	14°C / 57°F
September	22°C / 72°F	9°C / 48°F
October	16°C / 61°F	3°C / 37°F
November	7°C / 45°F	-3°C / 27°F
December	-1°C / 30°F	-10°C / 14°F