Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Wisconsin Rapids weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast——82°42°—
- ThursdayJun 4Heavy Rain27%0.81″84°57°+2°
- FridayJun 5Heavy Showers74%0.07″74°64°-10°
- SaturdayJun 6Showers58%—81°61°+7°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——77°59°-4°
- MondayJun 8Overcast25%—77°58°0°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle24%—78°64°+1°
Ozone at AQI 81 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. AQI up 35 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 81 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 81
- UV peak
- 2.1 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 81
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 4:09 AM
- Moonset
- 12:40 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies rise from the lawn
Wisconsin Rapids at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 10°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 12 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 3, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Wisconsin Rapids
SPC has placed Wisconsin Rapids in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3MRGLMarginal Risk
Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | — | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | — | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Wisconsin Rapids's warmest month is July (~70°F mean) and its coldest is January (~15°F). Rainfall peaks in June (4.8 inches) and bottoms out in February (1.1 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | 1.1″ | 4 |
| February | 18° | 1.1″ | 3 |
| March | 30° | 1.8″ | 5 |
| April | 43° | 3.3″ | 7 |
| May | 56° | 3.9″ | 8 |
| June | 66° | 4.8″ | 8 |
| July | 70° | 3.8″ | 7 |
| August | 68° | 4.0″ | 6 |
| September | 59° | 3.4″ | 6 |
| October | 47° | 2.8″ | 5 |
| November | 33° | 1.8″ | 4 |
| December | 21° | 1.5″ | 4 |
Regional context
Wisconsin Rapids's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 15°F while July climbs to 70°F — a 55°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 33.4 inches spread across roughly 66 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: June averages 4.8 inches across 7.5 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while February drops to just 1.1 inches across 3.0 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That summer-storm-driven distribution puts Wisconsin Rapids in a cohort with places like Port Edwards, WI, Biron, WI and Lake Wazeecha, WI, all of which depend on warm-season convective activity for the bulk of their annual moisture.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around late-May, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Warm-soil crops — tomatoes, peppers, eggplant — wait until soil temperatures reach the mid-50s°F, usually two weeks past the last-frost date. The window closes around early-October, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. The dates above are 1991-2020 normals; in a given year either bookend can move 1-2 weeks either direction. Within Wisconsin Rapids, low-lying parcels along drainage features typically lose 4-7°F of overnight low temperature versus the bench positions on calm clear nights, which shifts the working last-frost date by a week or more.
Similar climates: Port Edwards, WI, Biron, WI, Lake Wazeecha, WI, Nekoosa, WI, Rudolph, WI.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Wisconsin Rapids?
- Wisconsin Rapids's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Wisconsin Rapids?
- June is the wettest month with about 4.8 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 33 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Wisconsin Rapids?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 70°F.
- What is the coldest month in Wisconsin Rapids?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 15°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Wisconsin Rapids?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-May); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Wisconsin Rapids get?
- Wisconsin Rapids averages about 66 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Wisconsin Rapids?
- Wisconsin Rapids's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 15°F while July averages 70°F — a 55°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Wisconsin Rapids receives about 33 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 66 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (44.4°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.