The Wisconsin State Climatology Office is affiliated  with the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Our mission is to manage data for climate monitoring, to provide climate information to Wisconsin residents and government agencies, to develop "value-added" products for users and impact applications, and to conduct applied climate research. This office is a partner with Midwestern Regional Climate Center in providing climate services to the public. Collaborations with Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) research on climate impacts are now underway. If you would like assistance finding the climate data you want, visit our Guide to Wisconsin Weather and Climate Data. Short initial inquiries for data or staff assistance staff are free. More substantial efforts are covered by our Service Charge statement.

News Flash!! State Snowfall Records for May Shattered

An unusual late season snowstorm dropped between 12 and 18 inches of snow on sections of northwestern Wisconsin from Wednesday evening (1 May) through at least midday on Friday (3 May 2013.) These snowfall totals appear to have smashed the 1-day statewide maximum snowfall totals for the entire month of May (10.9 inches in May 1940) and the 2-day and 3-day statewide May snow totals (11 inches in 1954 and 12 inches in 1960). In the next several days, the State Extremes Committee will verify the records and they will be posted here.

Winter-Like Conditions Continue into Second Half of Spring

Temperatures across all of Wisconsin were persistently 5 degrees or more below normal during the first half of meteorological spring (March 1 -April 15). In southern Wisconsin, 90% of daytime high temperatures during mid-February to mid-April were below seasonal normals. In addition, April precipitation amounts ranked far above normal in most counties, and included several significant late season snowfalls. The southern counties experienced significant flooding in the latter half of April. Normal spring planting activities are expected to be delayed up to a month from normal years.

A long- term view of past spring seasons can be found on our Spring Page. Related graphs and links may be found on the Climate Watch and Climate Impacts pages.

Climate Change

Climate Literacy -- Understanding the essential principles.

IPCC 2007 Report -- Six years of new observations and analyses in this most authoritative scientific report..

U.S. Global Change Research Program (2009) -- Impacts and regional issues..

For additional climate-change information, see our Climate Change page.