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La Crosse weather in numbers
measured normals and 10 years of recorded weather
La Crosse swings 70°F across the year, from 81°F highs in July to 11°F lows in January, and August is usually the wettest month in a year that brings about 31 in of precipitation. Over 10 years of recorded weather it averages 86 days a year at 77°F or above, 17 of them at 86°F or above, 135 frost nights, and rain on 113 days.
Warmest month
July
81°F average high
Coldest month
January
11°F average low
Wettest month
August
31 in a year
Comfortable
3 months
May, June and September
Residents
52,000
share this forecast
Most accurate here
European
93/100 CheckWeather Score
Warm days
86 days
a year at 77°F or above
Frost nights
135 nights
a year below 32°F
Rain days
113 days
a year with 0.04 in or more
Day counts are from the ERA5 reanalysis for La Crosse’s grid square, 2016 to 2025, counted the same way for every city so the numbers compare. A reanalysis square is an area, not a weather station, so it is good for counting days and not for a single day’s record.
The weather map: all three models at once
NWS, American, European side by side around La Crosse and nearby towns.Live rain radar →
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La Crosse hourly forecast: next 14 hours
consensus of the three models
Rain in the next 24 hours, model by model
each model's own hourly precipitation, side by side
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La Crosse 10-day forecast, out to 14 days
where the models agree, and where they split
Today
Cloudy
72°57°
models agree
Tomorrow
Cloudy
63°52°
models agree
Mon
Cloudy
56°49°
±6°
Tue
Cloudy
64°47°
±5°
Wed
Light drizzle
68°52°
models agree
Thu
Mostly clear
66°49°
±8°
Fri
Light drizzle
65°52°
±14°
Sat
Light drizzle
65°54°
±11°
Sun
Light drizzle
61°46°
±9°
Mon
Light drizzle
59°40°
models agree
Tue
Cloudy
47°39°
models agree
Wed
Cloudy
51°38°
models agree
Thu
Cloudy
57°38°
±14°
La Crosse, Wisconsin (WI) is at its warmest in Jul (average highs near 81°F) and coldest in Jan (lows around 11°F), with roughly 31 in of precipitation across the year. Below, compare what NWS, American, European forecast for La Crosse right now, and see exactly where they disagree.
average daytime high and overnight low across a typical year (1991-2020)
Jan
24°
11°
Feb
32°
12°
Mar
45°
26°
Apr
56°
37°
May
69°
48°
Jun
78°
59°
Jul
81°
64°
Aug
79°
62°
Sep
71°
53°
Oct
58°
42°
Nov
43°
29°
Dec
30°
18°
Source: 1991-2020 averages, ERA5 for this place adjusted with NASA POWER.
How La Crosse's weather has changed since 1995
30 years of daily data, 1995-2024, shown as change
+0.9°F
Around La Crosse, the difference between 1995-2004 and 2015-2024 is +0.9°F, within the normal swing from year to year.
1995each stripe is one year2024
cooler than averagearound averagewarmer than average
Days above 86°F
3 fewer days a year
2015-2024 against 1995-2004. Within the normal year-to-year swing
Frost nights
4 fewer nights a year
2015-2024 against 1995-2004, below 32°F. Within the normal year-to-year swing
Average wind
−1%
2015-2024 against 1995-2004. Within the normal year-to-year swing
Bars: each year against the area's 30-year average. Dashed lines: the average of the first and the last ten years.
See the numbers year by year
Year
Temp vs average
Days >86°F vs avg
Frost nights vs avg
Wind vs avg
1995
−1.2°F
+11
+6
+1%
1996
−3.9°F
−0
+19
+1%
1997
−1.7°F
−7
+17
−3%
1998
+2.6°F
−12
−20
−5%
1999
+0.6°F
−7
−8
+1%
2000
−0.1°F
−9
−6
+1%
2001
+0.6°F
+10
−8
−1%
2002
+0.8°F
+12
+20
+3%
2003
−0.1°F
+24
+2
+3%
2004
−0.5°F
−16
−7
+1%
2005
+1.3°F
+23
−2
−3%
2006
+2.1°F
+14
+2
+1%
2007
+0.4°F
+10
−8
+6%
2008
−3.2°F
−14
+9
−1%
2009
−1.7°F
−13
+0
−1%
2010
+0.1°F
−10
−19
−5%
2011
−0.5°F
−5
+0
−3%
2012
+4.2°F
+38
−14
+1%
2013
−2.3°F
−2
+22
+1%
2014
−3.9°F
−12
+10
+3%
2015
+1.2°F
+1
−17
+3%
2016
+1.3°F
−11
−18
−1%
2017
+0.1°F
−11
−13
+1%
2018
−1.0°F
+1
+25
−5%
2019
−2.4°F
−13
+12
−3%
2020
−0.1°F
−11
+18
−1%
2021
+1.9°F
+4
−6
−5%
2022
−0.8°F
−1
+8
+8%
2023
+2.8°F
+25
−7
−3%
2024
+3.5°F
−8
−19
−1%
Source: NASA POWER daily data from the MERRA-2 reanalysis, 1995-2024. Each value describes a grid square of about 50 km around La Crosse, not a weather station, and a square that takes in sea or a large lake runs milder than the city itself. That is why this section shows change against the square's own 30-year average rather than counts you could compare with a local station. Rain and snow are left out because their long-term record in this dataset is not consistent over time. "Within the normal year-to-year swing" means the change is smaller than the usual differences between single years.
Which forecast is most accurate in La Crosse?
CheckWeather Score, graded against the weather that actually happened
Provider
CheckWeather-score
Temp
Wind
Rain
Run by
European ★ Best
93
/100rank #1
93±0.7°F
99±0.4 mph
8994% hit
ECMWF - European Centre for Medium-Range Weather ForecastsReading, United Kingdom
American
76
/100rank #2
89±1.1°F
94±1.8 mph
4771% hit
NOAA / NCEP (United States)College Park, Maryland, USA
The accuracy above is the measured record. This is your opinion: which forecast service do you trust most in United States? Give each 1 to 5 stars.
NWSNational Blend (NBM)
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Where the models disagree
temperature and rain, judged separately
Day
Temperature
Rain
Today
±1°72° to 73°
±11%3% to 14% chance
Tomorrow
±4°61° to 65°
±10%9% to 19% chance
Mon
±6°54° to 59°
±39%12% to 51% chance
Tue
±5°62° to 66°
±51%16% to 67% chance
Wed
±4°66° to 70°
models agree29% to 29% chance
The models often agree on temperature and still split on rain, and rain is usually what decides whether a plan survives. A wide rain range means the shower is genuinely uncertain, not that the forecast is wrong.
Sunrise and sunset in La Crosse
today, local time
Sunrise
07:30
Sunset
18:06
Daylight
10h 36m
Common questions
What's the weather in La Crosse today?
Saturday, October 24: NWS, the American and the European model agree on a high near 72° in La Crosse today. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 63°, with a 19% chance of rain. The forecast on this page refreshes live.
Will it rain in La Crosse today or tomorrow?
Rain looks unlikely in La Crosse on Sunday, October 25: no model gives more than 19% (NWS 9%, American 9%, European 19%). On Saturday, October 24 the highest chance of rain from any model is 14%. The hourly strip and the model-by-model rain panel above update live.
Which forecast is most accurate for La Crosse?
Over the last 30 days, the European model has been the most accurate for La Crosse (CheckWeather Score 93/100), ahead of the American at 76. We grade every model against the recorded weather. See the US accuracy scoreboard for the full method.
What is the warmest month in La Crosse?
July is typically the warmest month in La Crosse, with average highs around 81°F.
How cold does La Crosse get?
The coldest month in La Crosse is January, when overnight lows average about 11°F.
How much rain does La Crosse get?
La Crosse sees roughly 31 in of precipitation a year, with August usually the wettest month.
Is La Crosse getting warmer?
Not clearly. In NASA's reanalysis for the area around La Crosse, the difference between 1995-2004 and 2015-2024 is 0.9°F, within the normal swing from year to year.