Madison, Wisconsin Weather
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Climate of Madison: monthly averages
Based on 25 years of satellite and reanalysis data (2001-2025), July is usually the hottest month in Madison, with average daytime highs around 28°C. January is the coolest, when nights typically fall to about -12°C and frost is possible on the coldest nights. That is a wide yearly range of roughly 40°C, so the seasons feel very different from each other.
The area receives about 970 mm of rain in a typical year. Most of it falls from May to August, and June is the wettest month at roughly 134 mm.
For outdoor plans and travel, September usually offers the most comfortable weather in Madison, with mild days and relatively little rain.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rainfall | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3° | -12° | 36 mm | 89% |
| Feb | -1° | -11° | 41 mm | 87% |
| Mar | 6° | -4° | 59 mm | 81% |
| Apr | 14° | 2° | 98 mm | 77% |
| May | 20° | 8° | 109 mm | 77% |
| Jun | 25° | 15° | 134 mm | 77% |
| Jul | 28° | 17° | 102 mm | 75% |
| Aug | 27° | 16° | 111 mm | 74% |
| Sep | 23° | 11° | 93 mm | 76% |
| Oct | 15° | 4° | 80 mm | 78% |
| Nov | 7° | -2° | 56 mm | 82% |
| Dec | -1° | -9° | 51 mm | 89% |
Source: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), averaged over the roughly 50 km grid area around Madison. Values describe typical conditions, not a forecast.
About Madison weather
Madison lies in Wisconsin's humid continental climate, with cold winters shaped by its Great Lakes location — about 122 km west of Milwaukee. Expect warm summers (June–August) with highs in the high 20s°C. Winter brings cold, snowy winters (December–February) with lake-effect snow near Lake Michigan. This page shows live, auto-refreshing weather for Madison: current conditions, an hourly breakdown, a 16-day outlook, a date-lookup tool for any past or future date, and real-time air quality, sourced from Open-Meteo. Local timezone: America/Chicago.
Frequently asked questions
Madison is about 122 km west of Milwaukee, in Wisconsin.
Madison sees cold, snowy winters (December–February) with lake-effect snow near Lake Michigan.
The live current conditions, hourly forecast and 16-day outlook above are pulled in real time for Madison's exact coordinates. No fixed schedule, the page updates whenever you load it.
July is usually the hottest month in Madison, with average daytime highs of about 28°C and nights around 17°C.
The coldest nights come in January, when the average low is about -12°C and daytime highs reach around -3°C. Frost is possible on clear, calm nights.
Madison receives about 970 mm of rain in a typical year. June is the wettest month at roughly 134 mm, and the main rainy period is May to August.
September usually offers the most comfortable weather in Madison, with mild daytime temperatures and little rain.
In November Madison typically sees daytime highs near 7°C and lows near -2°C, with about 56 mm of rain over the month and average humidity around 82%. Check the live forecast above for this week's actual conditions.
Up to 16 days ahead using the extended forecast and date picker above; further-out or historical dates use the same date lookup tool.
The current temperature for Madison updates automatically at the top of this page — scroll to the hourly strip below to see how it's expected to change over the day.
Madison's day-to-day weather follows the broader pattern of Wisconsin described above. See the hourly weather forecast or the air quality index for more detail.