Downtown Madison, Madison Weather
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Climate of Downtown Madison: monthly averages
Based on 25 years of satellite and reanalysis data (2001-2025), July is usually the hottest month in Downtown 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 Downtown 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 Downtown Madison. Values describe typical conditions, not a forecast.
About Downtown Madison weather
Downtown Madison is one of many towns in Wisconsin's humid continental climate, with cold winters shaped by its Great Lakes location, about 122 km west of Milwaukee. Before the rains arrive, there's warm summers (June–August) with highs in the high 20s°C. Cooler months mean cold, snowy winters (December–February) with lake-effect snow near Lake Michigan. This page shows live, auto-refreshing weather for Downtown 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
Downtown Madison is about 122 km west of Milwaukee, in Wisconsin.
Downtown 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 Downtown Madison's exact coordinates. No fixed schedule, the page updates whenever you load it.
July is usually the hottest month in Downtown 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.
Downtown 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 Downtown Madison, with mild daytime temperatures and little rain.
In November Downtown 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.
Live temperature for Downtown Madison is shown at the top of this page and refreshes automatically — see the hourly breakdown below for how it changes through the day.
Downtown 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.