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 →

Madison🇺🇸 United States · Great Lakes & Midwest · City89
  1. 37Jan
  2. 44Feb
  3. 60Mar
  4. 70Apr
  5. 83May
  6. 81Jun
  7. 77Jul
  8. 85Aug
  9. 89Sep
  10. 71Oct
  11. 59Nov
  12. 41Dec

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, United States
Photo: Josh Sorenson · Pexels

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.

MonthScoreTierHighRainSunCrowdsOn
Jan37F-2°C7 d5 hPeak2
Feb44F0°C7 d7 hQuiet1
Mar60C8°C9 d8 hBusy1
Apr70B14°C9 d9 hBusy2
May83A21°C12 d10 hPeak2
Jun81A27°C11 d12 hPeak2
Jul77B28°C9 d12 hPeak3
Aug85A27°C8 d11 hPeak2
Sep89A24°C9 d9 hPeak2
Oct71B17°C10 d7 hBusy2
Nov59D9°C6 d6 hPeak2
Dec41F2°C7 d5 hPeak3

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

Everything on in Madison through the year →

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)

JFMAMJJASOND

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.
Tripadvisor community · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
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.
Tripadvisor community · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Madison's card on the map.