Cottage Grove, WI climate
Cottage Grove has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cottage Grove feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cottage Grove weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 11° | 1.5" | 13.7" | 11 | 24 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 1.5" | 12.8" | 10 | 22 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 7.0" | 11 | 10 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.7" | 2.6" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 5.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.3" | 3.0" | 10 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 1.7" | 12.0" | 10 | 16 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 37.2" | 51.8" | 126 | 78 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove gets 37 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 78 days of the year.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 10. That leaves about 160 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cottage Grove
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cottage Grove, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Cottage Grove and its neighbors
Cottage Grove borders 7 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Sun Prairie has the coldest January nights (11°) and Madison the hottest July afternoons (83°). Cottage Grove’s January low is 11° and its July high 83°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Cottage Grove compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cottage Grove averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 56% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cottage Grove’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 11° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Cottage Grove’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cottage Grove?
January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Cottage Grove?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cottage Grove get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Cottage Grove?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Cottage Grove?
June, with 5.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cottage Grove itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Madison Dane Rgnl Airport, WI (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.