Cost to Own
United States › Wisconsin › Columbia County › Climate Station PORTAGE WWTP, WI US Distance 6.7 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Columbia County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

81.6°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 9.9°F.

Columbia County gets 38.32" of precipitation a year and 39.3" of snow, and 38% of it falls in May, Jun, Jul.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 26.1° 9.9° 1.44" 10.2"
February 30.6° 13.2° 1.41" 10.0"
March 42.4° 24.0° 2.18" 5.5"
April 55.7° 35.8° 4.15" 2.2"
May 68.2° 47.8° 4.58" 0.0"
June 77.9° 57.9° 5.61" 0.0"
July 81.6° 61.6° 4.51" 0.0"
August 79.9° 59.4° 4.12" 0.0"
September 72.6° 50.7° 3.56" 0.0"
October 59.3° 39.0° 2.86" 0.5"
November 44.2° 28.3° 2.22" 2.0"
December 31.8° 17.1° 1.68" 8.9"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 38% falling in the wettest three months (May, Jun, Jul).

January 1.44"
February 1.41"
March 2.18"
April 4.15"
May 4.58"
June 5.61"
July 4.51"
August 4.12"
September 3.56"
October 2.86"
November 2.22"
December 1.68"
Annual total 38.32"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 622
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 7,342
Approximate annual cooling cost At 19.74¢/kWh, Wisconsin average $123
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $507

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Columbia County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Columbia County?

Columbia County averages a high of 81.6°F in July and a low of 9.9°F in January. Annual precipitation is 38.32 inches, including 39.3 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Columbia County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 38% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Columbia County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 81.6°F. That drives 622 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Columbia County?

Yes. Columbia County averages 39.3 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station PORTAGE WWTP, WI US (USC00476718), 6.7 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Wisconsin residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.