Observational data set since 1855 from both Madison area lakes Mendota and Monona from the Wisconsin State Climatology Office and Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies

Wisconsin’s climate is typically continental with some modification by Lakes Michigan and Superior. The cold, snowy winters favor a variety of winter sports, and the warm summers appeal to thousands of vacationers each year. About two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls during the growing season (freeze-free period). It is normally adequate for vegetation, although drought is occasionally reported. This climate is most favorable for dairy farming; the primary crops are corn, small grains, hay, and vegetables. The rapid succession of storms moving from west to east or southwest to northeast account for the stimulating climate.

Select from Climate by Location, Division, Normals, Statewide Extremes, Longterm Annual Variability, and Daily Climate data.

The Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet (WiscoNet) is a growing network of weather and soil monitoring stations across Wisconsin, designed to provide high quality data at high spatial and temporal resolutions. There are currently 14 Wisconet stations with plans to expand to around 90 by 2026. Each Wisconet station provides more than one dozen measurements every 5 minutes.

The stations measure temperature, dew point, wind, rain, soil moisture and temperature, and more.

You can view data through an interactive map or a list of stations.