Madison
Wisconsin · US States · Everyday climate impact
This page uses fifty years of real, daily weather data for Madison, Wisconsin to show 20 everyday facts about how the climate here has changed: how much extra water your body loses standing in the shade, how many more evenings with terrace weather and sticky tropical nights the city gets each year, how much efficiency a rooftop solar panel loses on its hottest afternoons, and how much faster laundry dries and drinks go flat. Each fact compares two real periods from Madison's own weather record, 1976 to 1986 against 2015 to 2025, so every number reflects this city's actual history rather than a global estimate.
Frequently asked questions about Madison's climate
Is Christmas getting warmer in Madison?
The average high temperature during Christmas week, December 20 to 27, was -2.3°C in 1976 to 1986. In 2015 to 2025 that same week averaged 1.4°C. That's the difference between a week that used to freeze on average and one that now thaws.
How many tropical nights does Madison get now?
Madison averaged 22 nights a year that never cooled below 20°C in 2015 to 2025, up from 17 in 1976 to 1986. A night like that is the main reason sleep gets worse during a heatwave, the body can't cool down enough to reach deep sleep.
How long do heatwaves last in Madison now?
The longest unbroken run of exceptionally hot days now averages 5 days a year, down from 5 days in Madison's own early record. The threshold is Madison's own 95th percentile hot day from the 1976 to 1986 window, not a fixed number for every city, so this measures how the city's own definition of too hot has shifted, not just how often it crossed some fixed temperature.
Is the pavement too hot for dogs in Madison?
On 81 days a year now, the temperature passes 25°C, hot enough that asphalt or sand in full sun reaches roughly 52°C, the point vets say a dog's paw pads start to burn within about a minute. That's up from 71 days in the 1976 to 1986 window. The simple test, press the back of your hand to the pavement for seven seconds, if that's too hot for you, it's too hot for a dog.
How hot does a parked car get in Madison?
Madison now has 141 days a year warm enough, above 20°C, for a closed car in the sun to get hot enough to melt chocolate left on the seat, up from 128 in the early record. A closed car reaches that point within about an hour, which is also why leaving a child or a pet alone in the car, even briefly, is dangerous on far more days than it used to be.
Are dry spells getting longer in Madison?
Barely, the longest dry stretch sits around 17 days a year in both windows. Longer dry spells matter for sprinkler bans and cracking in clay soil foundations.
Is insect season getting longer in Madison?
The warm season here, days averaging above 10°C, is now about 5% warmer than in 1976 to 1986. Under the Q10 rule from biology, insects and mosquito larvae develop roughly twice as fast for every 10°C of warming, so this difference translates into noticeably faster breeding cycles, one reason insect season starts earlier and runs longer than it used to.
