Climate · Franklin

Franklin, WI climate

Franklin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
80°
547th coolest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
January low
11°
409th mildest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Rain + melted snow
33 in
607th driest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Snow a winter
53 in
595th snowiest of 2,046 Wisconsin towns
+5°

5° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 69°, and a typical Sep 30 in Franklin peaks around 64°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020

A normal year

What a year in Franklin feels like

Winter

29° / 14°
Typical high / low · 17 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

53° / 33°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 6

Summer

78° / 57°
Typical high / low · 4 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

57° / 39°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 12
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Franklin weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January26°11°1.6" 12.1"1026 7° – 30°
February29°13°1.2" 12.3"924 10° – 32°
March40°23°1.9" 6.5"815 23° – 45°
April53°33°3.2" 4.3"113 35° – 49°
May65°44°3.7" 0110 49° – 60°
June75°54°4.4" 0120 61° – 69°
July80°59°3.7" 0110 64° – 75°
August78°58°3.5" 0100 63° – 72°
September71°50°2.9" 0110 54° – 65°
October57°39°3.0" 0.5"120 44° – 54°
November43°28°2.2" 1.5"92 27° – 43°
December31°18°1.7" 15.3"1118 12° – 35°
Year54°36°32.9"52.5"12587

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Franklin

Franklin gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 87 days of the year.

33 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 70% of U.S. towns
53 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 85% of U.S. towns
87 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 85% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.4"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
15"
Frost & the growing season

About 158 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first one by October 12. That leaves about 158 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 73% of U.S. towns.

156
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
21
nights below 0° in a normal year
4
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Franklin

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Franklin, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
7,789 heating degree daysMore heating than 83% of U.S. towns
417 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 83% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Franklin

Franklin and its neighbors

Franklin borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.1°. Cooperstown has the coldest January nights (10°) and Maple Grove the hottest July afternoons (81°). Franklin’s January low is 11° and its July high 80°.

Valders: January low 11°, July high 80°Liberty: January low 11°, July high 80°Rockland: January low 11°, July high 80°Manitowoc Rapids: January low 12°, July high 79°Mishicot: January low 12°, July high 79°Two Rivers: January low 13°, July high 78°Reedsville: January low 11°, July high 80°Brillion: January low 10°, July high 81°Holland: January low 10°, July high 81°Gibson: January low 11°, July high 80°Morrison: January low 10°, July high 80°New Denmark: January low 10°, July high 80°Kellnersville: January low 11°, July high 80°Cato: January low 11°, July high 80°Kossuth: January low 11°, July high 80°Maple Grove: January low 10°, July high 81°Cooperstown: January low 10°, July high 80°Franklin: January low 11°, July high 80° FranklinKellnersvilleCatoKossuthMaple GroveCooperstown
ColderMilder10° to 13°
Cooperstown10.2° −0.5°
Maple Grove10.3° −0.4°
Franklin10.7°
Kellnersville10.7° same
Cato11.1° +0.4°
Kossuth11.3° +0.6°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Franklin compares

Summer heat80° July high
Cooler than 89% of U.S. towns547th coolest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Winter cold11° January low
Colder than 80% of U.S. towns409th mildest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Precipitation33" a year
Drier than 70% of U.S. towns607th driest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Snow53" a winter
Snowier than 85% of U.S. towns595th snowiest of 2,046 Wisconsin towns
Growing season158 frost-free days
Shorter than 73% of U.S. towns587th longest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Franklin averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 82% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.8° now 21°, was 18°
🌷 Spring+1.4° now 43°, was 42°
☀️ Summer+1.2° now 67°, was 66°
🍂 Fall+1.4° now 48°, was 47°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Franklin’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 7° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Franklin’s climate

What is the coldest month in Franklin?

January, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 11°.

What is the hottest month in Franklin?

July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 59°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Franklin get?

About 53 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Franklin?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 12, and the last spring frost by May 6.

What is the rainiest month in Franklin?

June, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Franklin itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Denmark WWTP, WI (11 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The porch light’s on

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