Best time to visit Madison, WI, USA

Our verdict

The best time to visit Madison is April

Madison can be visited year-round, but based on the ideal climate conditions, cost of travel, and avoiding peak holiday periods, April is the best time to go.

During the warmer months, temperatures in Madison can rise to a maximum of 28℃ (83℉). In the winter, temperatures can get down to -18℃ (-1℉) around January.

If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Madison, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. May sees the most amount of rain in a month if you’re ok with chancing getting drenched, so if you’re looking to stay dry, visit in December instead.

Find out everything you need to know about when to visit Madison below, including detailed information about the weather and tools to help you find the best prices and book your trip.

Warmest month

July

Least rainfall

December

Most daylight

July

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Madison seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Madison as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Madison is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Madison

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Madison for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Madison climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Madison for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Madison in January

  • Average temperature: -8℃ (18℉)
  • Average high temperature: -5℃ (24℉)
  • Average low temperature: -12℃ (11℉)
  • Average humidity: 88%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 1 days
  • Average snow days: 6 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in January, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Madison in February

  • Average temperature: -6℃ (21℉)
  • Average high temperature: -3℃ (27℉)
  • Average low temperature: -10℃ (15℉)
  • Average humidity: 88%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 7mm (0") over 1 days
  • Average snow days: 5 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in February, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Madison in March

  • Average temperature: 1℃ (34℉)
  • Average high temperature: 5℃ (42℉)
  • Average low temperature: -3℃ (27℉)
  • Average humidity: 80%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 4 days
  • Average snow days: 3 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in March, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Madison in April

  • Average temperature: 7℃ (45℉)
  • Average high temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average low temperature: 3℃ (37℉)
  • Average humidity: 77%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 12mm (0") over 6 days
  • Average snow days: 1 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in April, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Madison in May

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (58℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (48℉)
  • Average humidity: 80%
  • Average sunny days: 21 days
  • Average rainfall: 15mm (1") over 7 days
21 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in May, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Madison in June

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (58℉)
  • Average humidity: 83%
  • Average sunny days: 21 days
  • Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 5 days
21 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Madison in July

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average humidity: 83%
  • Average sunny days: 23 days
  • Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 5 days
23 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Madison in August

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 23 days
  • Average rainfall: 7mm (0") over 4 days
23 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Madison in September

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average high temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 81%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 11mm (0") over 4 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in September, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.

Madison in October

  • Average temperature: 10℃ (49℉)
  • Average high temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average low temperature: 5℃ (42℉)
  • Average humidity: 77%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 14mm (1") over 5 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in October, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Madison in November

  • Average temperature: 2℃ (36℉)
  • Average high temperature: 6℃ (43℉)
  • Average low temperature: -1℃ (30℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 2 days
  • Average snow days: 2 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in November, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Madison in December

  • Average temperature: -4℃ (26℉)
  • Average high temperature: -1℃ (30℉)
  • Average low temperature: -7℃ (20℉)
  • Average humidity: 84%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 2 days
  • Average snow days: 5 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Madison in December, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Madison is usually July, where temperatures tend to rise to around 26℃ (79℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Madison is generally around December. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in December first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Madison is generally around May, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of May too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Madison, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Madison map