Wisconsin Climate Connection

Since 1950, annual temperatures in Wisconsin have gone up by 3-5°F, with winter being the season that has warmed the most. Over this same time period, Wisconsin has also experienced an increase in annual precipitation, particularly in southern and central counties. There has also been a shift in heavy precipitation, with an increase in the frequency and amount of rain received during heavy rainfall events. Extreme heat events have not shown a trend in Wisconsin over the past several decades, however there has been an increase in summertime overnight temperatures.

Want to learn more?

The Wisconsin State Climatology Office offers recent and historical climate data for the state, along with educational materials and specialized climate information.

Climate scientists at the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) have created maps that show county-level historical changes in Wisconsin’s climate.

To know what the climate is like right outside your door today, you are encouraged to find the Wisconet station closest to your home. The Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet (Wisconet) is a growing network of weather and soil monitoring stations across Wisconsin, designed to provide research quality data at high spatial and temporal resolutions. There are currently 78 Wisconet stations, each providing more than one dozen measurements every five minutes. To help you find data for your closest Wisconet station, utilize the Wisconet outdoor activities dashboard feature. There is also a dashboard specifically designed for agricultural producers.

Want to learn more?

The Wisconsin State Climatology Office (SCO) houses a range of recent and historical climate data on their website.

The SCO also publishes three educational blogs (Monthly Climate Summaries, Wisconsin Climate Chronicles, and Climate Ed-ucation) which give synopses of climate events from recent months, impacts from notable recent events, and outlooks for the upcoming month.

Future projections of climate in Wisconsin by mid-century (2041-2060) indicate similar trends to what has been observed in recent decades, including increasing temperatures, warmer and wetter winters, and an increase in heavy rainfall events. Climate models also indicate an increase in extreme heat events (days over 90°F or 100°F). These changes in climate affect everyone, but the impacts vary across communities and industries. Some communities may have limited resources to respond to events like floods and extreme heat events. Therefore, we highly encourage you to check out the programs and resources for climate adaptation linked below, and to connect with Extension experts who can help answer your questions.

Want to learn more?

Climate scientists at the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) have created maps that show projected changes in Wisconsin’s climate by mid-century (2041-2060).

The 2026 WICCI report explains the issues and impacts of our warming climate on Wisconsin residents and describes the scientific progress made toward solutions. There are also sector-specific impact summaries and recommended adaptation strategies.