Milwaukee weather in November
November in Milwaukee: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#8 of 12 months in Milwaukee · #1031 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 62/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 9°C
- Nights
- 1°C
- Wet days
- 5
- Sun
- 6.1 h
- Humidity
- 71%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Milwaukee in November
Other months in Milwaukee
Regulars planning a weekend here specifically build the lakefront into the plan - a drive along the water to a custard stand, a stop at a lakefront brewery - treating Lake Michigan as the natural answer to a hot, muggy afternoon rather than an afterthought. Our row backs the warm, humid read, 27.9C reading as a hot 30C at 78 percent humidity, over 19C nights, with 92.2mm of rain across 8.6 days. Regulars specifically warn that wooded areas can get genuinely buggy this time of year, worth factoring into any hiking or park plans. The lake itself stays cool and refreshing even on the hottest days, a real contrast to the muggy air on land. The record: 12.4 hours of sun, a 17.6 kph wind and AQI 58.
Regulars name this the peak of the humid season here, alongside July, with Lake Michigan doing real work moderating the extremes even as the humidity itself makes a warm day feel more intense than the thermometer alone suggests. Our row backs the warm, sticky read, 27.3C reading as a real 29C at 76.5 percent humidity, over 18.6C nights, with 116.3mm of rain across 7.5 days. Regulars are also clear this sits comfortably inside the long snow-free stretch that runs roughly May through October, so the seasonal risk here is humidity and the occasional storm rather than any cold-weather concern. The record: 11.2 hours of sun, a 17.8 kph wind and AQI 50.
Regulars are careful about two things in May here. The end of the month can be lovely or merely cool, and either way the lake is too cold to swim in - you can sit on the sand, not in the water. And the lakefront runs markedly colder than the city a few miles inland, by as much as fifteen degrees on a bad day, with the change arriving quickly, so an evening by the water wants a sweatshirt whatever the forecast said downtown. Our row reads 17.9C days over 9.3C nights with 102.1mm across 10.6 days and a 20.6 kph wind off the water. The record: humidity 77 percent, 10.2 hours of sun inside 14.7 of daylight, and AQI 52.
Milwaukee-forum threads on September weather warn it swings hard: Labor Day week alone can run anywhere from the 60s to the 90s Fahrenheit, sometimes an Indian-summer stretch right as school starts, sometimes a genuinely cool snap. Most days land in the comfortable middle, light jacket optional. The trade worth knowing about: late September brings mild temperatures and the city's film-festival season, a good secondary pick for dodging both the peak summer crowds and their prices, since accommodation gets noticeably cheaper once the summer visitors clear out. The record: 24.1C days, 15.2C nights, 85mm of rain across seven days, 9.4 hours of sun and an AQI of 44 - reliably pleasant on average, genuinely unpredictable day to day.
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Milwaukee climate normals — November
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Milwaukee in November
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 crowdsThanksgiving, Thanksgiving break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Milwaukee's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherMilwaukee's best weather comes in May, June and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Milwaukee in November
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Holiday Lights Festival
18 Nov – 1 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New YearDowntown parks are strung with lights from the kickoff night with fireworks in late November until New Year's Day, and a narrated Jingle Bus tour runs on December weekends. Source ↗
- Holiday
Thanksgiving
25–29 NovNational holidayCrowdedClosuresThanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November, is the country's biggest travel holiday: airports and highways are at their busiest on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after, and on the day itself offices, banks and many shops close. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Milwaukee — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Milwaukee?
Milwaukee in November — FAQ
- Is November a good time to visit Milwaukee?
- November in Milwaukee: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #8 of 12 months for Milwaukee on SeasonMap's comfort score (62/100).
- What is the weather like in Milwaukee in November?
- In November, Milwaukee averages a daily high of 9.3°C and a low of 1.3°C, with about 46.9 mm of rain over roughly 5 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Milwaukee in November?
- Milwaukee has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 30 in November.
- Does it snow in Milwaukee in November?
- Milwaukee sees roughly 7.9 cm of snowfall in November.
Within 300 km: Chicago's Skating in Millennium Park around 15 Nov – 5 Mar.