Historical weather data, all-time temperature records, and monthly climate averages for Madison, WI. Explore typical weather conditions by week for trip planning, and see how today compares to the historical record.
April 5th in Madison is classic shoulder-season roulette — historically, the date has swung from a balmy 77° in 1997 to a brutal 8° low in 1995. On average, expect a cool 50° high and 30° low, with just a 28% chance of rain and only a 2% shot at snow.
Madison plays for keeps on the extremes — the city has cooked at 108° in August 1988 and frozen at -38° in February 1996, a jaw-dropping 146-degree swing. A single August storm in 2018 dumped over 6 inches of rain, and December 2012 brought 13.5 inches of snow in one day.
Summer is Madison's sweet spot, with highs peaking around 83-84° in mid-July before a gradual fade through fall. Winters are genuinely cold — January averages just 27° — so plan accordingly if you're visiting between November and March. Keep an umbrella handy in June, the wettest stretch of the year.