Madison weather by month
The best time to visit Madison is May, August and September — 89/100 in September, 24°C and 9 rainy days. The best season is summer, June to August (81/100 on average).
The worst month is January at 37/100 — freezing, a little rain, clean air. See January →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit United States →
Best season: June to August (81/100 on average) · worst January (37/100)
- Days
- 24°C
- Nights
- 12°C
- Wet days
- 9
- Sun
- 9.2 h
- Humidity
- 73%
- Daylight
- 13 h

Madison, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Madison is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
What's on in Madison through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- April
- Farmers' market on the Square15 Apr – 10 Nov (usually)Opening
- May
- World's Largest Brat Fest22–31 May (usually)Festival
- June
- Concerts on the Square20 Jun – 5 Aug (usually)Opening
- July
- Art Fair on the Square5–20 Jul (usually)Festival
- September
- Ironman Wisconsin1–15 Sep (usually)Festival
- October
- Autumn colour1–28 Oct (usually)Nature
- November
- Thanksgiving25–29 NovHoliday
- December
- Christmas and New Year24 Dec – 1 JanHoliday
- Lake Mendota ice season20 Dec – 5 Apr (usually)Season
Crowds in Madison in September
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsFarmers' market on the Square, Ironman Wisconsin, Summer break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Traveller notes on Madison
What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.
Forum posters flag June as genuinely unpredictable in Madison - some years cooler than normal, building toward July's more reliably hot and humid, thunderstorm-prone pattern. Early June specifically gets called out as still too cold for comfortable lake swimming for most visitors. The upside regulars keep coming back to: Madison's lovely summers, built around its glacial lakes, are what make the tough winters worth it, and the Saturday Farmers' Market downtown is the most-recommended single thing to do. Bug repellent is standard advice for the season.
Forum posters describe December in Madison as genuinely unpredictable from year to year - snow can start as early as November and continue through March, or hold off entirely until January in a milder year. Posters are direct that when it isn't snowing, ice can actually be worse to deal with than snow itself. Posters consistently note that Wisconsin handles winter weather well, with light snow and icy stretches managed effectively on the roads, and December here rarely brings the truly major snowstorms that hit later in winter. Posters generally recommend watching the forecast closely before a December trip and planning for winter driving conditions, while noting there's no fundamental reason to avoid visiting Madison this time of year with reasonable preparation.
Add your own note from Madison's card on the map.