Climate · Sylvan

Sylvan, WI climate

Sylvan has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
81°
1013th hottest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
January low
9°
845th mildest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Rain + melted snow
38 in
90th wettest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Snow a winter
46 in
1005th snowiest of 2,046 Wisconsin towns
A normal year

What a year in Sylvan feels like

Winter

29° / 12°
Typical high / low · 18 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

56° / 35°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 5

Summer

79° / 58°
Typical high / low · 9 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

58° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 6
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Sylvan 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°9°1.2" 11.9"1020 7° – 30°
February31°13°1.2" 9.9"916 9° – 34°
March43°24°2.1" 6.4"109 25° – 49°
April57°34°3.9" 3.0"111 36° – 51°
May68°46°4.6" 0130 51° – 64°
June78°56°5.6" 0120 63° – 71°
July81°60°4.7" 0100 65° – 77°
August79°58°4.3" 0100 63° – 75°
September72°50°4.2" 0100 55° – 67°
October59°38°2.8" 0.3"90 44° – 55°
November43°27°2.1" 3.1"92 27° – 45°
December31°16°1.5" 11.6"1012 9° – 34°
Year56°36°38.1"46.2"12259

“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 Sylvan

Sylvan gets 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 59 days of the year.

38 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 56% of U.S. towns
46 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 78% of U.S. towns
59 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 71% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
12"
Frost & the growing season

About 154 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 154 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 77% of U.S. towns.

166
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
24
nights below 0° in a normal year
9
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 Sylvan

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sylvan, 93% of that work is heating and 7% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

93%heating
7,498 heating degree daysMore heating than 80% of U.S. towns
522 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 75% 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 Sylvan

Sylvan and its neighbors

Sylvan borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Forest has the coldest January nights (8°) and Marshall the hottest July afternoons (82°). Sylvan’s January low is 9° and its July high 81°.

Dayton: January low 9°, July high 82°Bloom: January low 8°, July high 81°Rockbridge: January low 9°, July high 82°Viola: January low 8°, July high 81°Stark: January low 8°, July high 82°Liberty: January low 8°, July high 81°Richwood: January low 10°, July high 83°Franklin: January low 8°, July high 81°Viroqua: January low 8°, July high 81°Utica: January low 9°, July high 82°Gays Mills: January low 9°, July high 82°Bell Center: January low 9°, July high 82°Haney: January low 9°, July high 83°Scott: January low 10°, July high 82°Marshall: January low 9°, July high 82°Forest: January low 8°, July high 82°Akan: January low 9°, July high 82°Kickapoo: January low 9°, July high 81°Clayton: January low 9°, July high 81°Sylvan: January low 9°, July high 81° SylvanMarshallForestAkanKickapooClayton
ColderMilder8° to 10°
Forest8.3° −0.6°
Kickapoo8.5° −0.4°
Sylvan8.9°
Clayton8.9° same
Marshall9.1° +0.2°
Akan9.1° +0.2°

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

Compared with other towns

How Sylvan compares

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler than 81% of U.S. towns1013th hottest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Winter cold9° January low
Colder than 83% of U.S. towns845th mildest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Precipitation38" a year
Drier than 56% of U.S. towns90th wettest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Snow46" a winter
Snowier than 78% of U.S. towns1005th snowiest of 2,046 Wisconsin towns
Growing season154 frost-free days
Shorter than 77% of U.S. towns818th 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

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Sylvan averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°). The shift is smaller than in 68% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.5° now 21°, was 18°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 45°, was 45°
☀️ Summer+0.1° now 69°, was 69°
🍂 Fall+0.7° now 48°, was 48°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sylvan’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. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 9° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Sylvan’s climate

What is the coldest month in Sylvan?

January, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 9°.

What is the hottest month in Sylvan?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Sylvan get?

About 46 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Sylvan?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 5.

What is the rainiest month in Sylvan?

June, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sylvan itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at La Farge, WI (11 mi, snow) and Richland Ctr, WI (13 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Sylvan, WIRichland CountyView boundary

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