Climate · White River

White River, WI climate

White River has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 103 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
79°
424th coolest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
January low
4°
425th coldest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Rain + melted snow
32 in
232nd driest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Snow a winter
103 in
20th snowiest of 2,046 Wisconsin towns
A normal year

What a year in White River feels like

Winter

26° / 8°
Typical high / low · 30 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

52° / 29°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 20

Summer

77° / 53°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

54° / 35°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 2
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

White River 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
January22°4°1.3" 23.8"1431 1° – 26°
February28°6°1.1" 16.8"1029 7° – 32°
March39°17°1.7" 16.1"1027 19° – 42°
April52°29°2.7" 8.7"1110 33° – 47°
May66°40°3.5" 0.6"120 47° – 58°
June75°50°3.9" 0130 59° – 66°
July79°56°4.2" 0110 61° – 73°
August78°54°3.5" 0100 60° – 69°
September69°47°3.4" 0.2"120 51° – 63°
October55°35°3.3" 1.5"131 39° – 50°
November39°24°2.1" 12.8"1113 23° – 42°
December27°12°1.6" 22.1"1328 8° – 30°
Year52°31°32.3"102.6"139138

“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 White River

White River gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 138 days of the year.

32 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 72% of U.S. towns
103 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns
138 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 99% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.2"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
24"
Frost & the growing season

About 133 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first one by October 2. That leaves about 133 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 93% of U.S. towns.

180
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
30
nights below 0° in a normal year
5
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 White River

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In White River, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

97%heating
8,882 heating degree daysMore heating than 94% of U.S. towns
290 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 92% 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 White River

White River and its neighbors

White River borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.3°. Marengo has the coldest January nights (4°) and Ashland the hottest July afternoons (79°). White River’s January low is 4° and its July high 79°.

Lincoln: January low 4°, July high 79°Mason: January low 3°, July high 79°Eileen: January low 5°, July high 79°Morse: January low 3°, July high 78°Gurney: January low 5°, July high 78°Ashland: January low 6°, July high 78°Grand View: January low 3°, July high 78°Gordon: January low 2°, July high 78°Kelly: January low 4°, July high 79°Sanborn: January low 6°, July high 79°Gingles: January low 5°, July high 79°Marengo: January low 4°, July high 79°Ashland: January low 4°, July high 79°White River: January low 4°, July high 79° White RiverKellySanbornGinglesMarengoAshland
ColderMilder2° to 6°
Marengo3.5° −0.7°
Kelly4.0° −0.2°
Ashland4.0° −0.2°
White River4.2°
Gingles5.1° +0.9°
Sanborn5.8° +1.6°

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

Compared with other towns

How White River compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 91% of U.S. towns424th coolest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Winter cold4° January low
Colder than 91% of U.S. towns425th coldest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Precipitation32" a year
Drier than 72% of U.S. towns232nd driest of 2,050 Wisconsin towns
Snow103" a winter
Snowier than 97% of U.S. towns20th snowiest of 2,046 Wisconsin towns
Growing season133 frost-free days
Shorter than 93% of U.S. towns238th shortest 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

+1.5°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in White River averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 71% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.2° now 17°, was 13°
🌷 Spring+1.0° now 40°, was 39°
☀️ Summer+0.7° now 65°, was 64°
🍂 Fall+1.1° now 45°, was 44°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at White River’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 7° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about White River’s climate

What is the coldest month in White River?

January, with a typical high of 22° and a low of 4°.

What is the hottest month in White River?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 56°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does White River get?

About 103 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in White River?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 2, and the last spring frost by May 20.

What is the rainiest month in White River?

July, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for White River itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mellen 4 Ne, WI (12 mi, snow) and Ashland 3s, WI (8 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 porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in White River, WIAshland CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

White River is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01