Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Appleton, Wisconsin Weather

Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Appleton weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Appleton, WI
Saturday, July 4 at 11:11 AM
74
°
Overcast
Feels like
80°
Humidity
80%
Wind
8 mph
Sunrise
12:15 AM
Sunset
3:40 PM
Appleton, WI
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastAppleton, WI: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 62 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 62°H 81°
Appleton, WI
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Overcast
    15%
    —
    81°68°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    81°62°0°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Clear
    —
    —
    77°60°-4°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Overcast
    —
    —
    75°58°-2°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Thunderstorm
    46%
    0.84″
    77°64°+2°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Light Showers
    53%
    0.13″
    72°61°-5°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Overcast
    18%
    —
    76°58°+4°
Appleton, WI
Next 24 hours · Mild now
58°71°84°6a12p6p12anow 74°high 81°low 62°
Appleton, WI
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
NE
036° · veering 152°
Direction
NE
036°
Sustained
8
mph
Gust
11
mph
Peak 24h
16
avg 5
Beaufort · 3 · GENTLE BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 5 · pk 16 @ 3:00a
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 177SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Light breeze veering 152° from the ne.
Appleton, WI
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
987.5
+0.6 mb in 3h · rising · 29.16 inHg
Now
987.5
mb
3h
+0.6
mb
12h
+1.5
mb
24h
-0.3
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 985–988
9809859909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW987.8985.4987.5
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Deep low — expect rough seas, strong wind, and persistent rain.
Appleton, WI
Air quality
23
AQI
Good
→-1 in 6h▲Peak ~35 @ 10 PM

AQI 23 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). Ozone at AQI 34 now. With UV 6.6 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 21 around 1 PM.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the projected peak around 10 PM.

PM 2.5Good
3.0μg/m³
PM 10Good
3μg/m³
NO₂Good
1μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERModerate
73μg/m³
UV IndexHigh
5.7

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 34 now. With UV 6.6 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 21 around 1 PM.

Present
AQI 34
UV peak
6.6 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
partly cloudy
Projected peak
AQI 21

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³350
Appleton, WI
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
36.9mi
UNLIMITED
55 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
16:11 UTC · Appleton, WI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
16:11 UTC · Appleton, WI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Appleton, WI
Satellite · infrared · animated
Appleton, WI
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Appleton, WI
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
4:40 AM
Sunrise
12:15 AM
Daylight
15h 25m
Sunset
3:40 PM
Civil dusk
9:18 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Appleton, WI
The moon
Waning Gibbous
80% illuminated
Moonrise
10:54 PM
Moonset
9:54 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Appleton, WI
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

plant
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Appleton at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 7°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 12 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

ZIP codes: 54911, 54913, 54914, 54915

16-Day Forecast — Appleton

  1. Sat81°68°15%
  2. Sun81°62°4%
  3. Mon77°60°1%
  4. Tue75°58°3%
  5. Wed77°64°46%
  6. Thu72°61°53%
  7. Fri76°58°18%
  8. Sat80°64°10%
  9. Sun69°58°12%
  10. Mon75°56°11%
  11. Tue75°60°7%
  12. Wed77°63°16%
  13. Thu79°68°19%
  14. Fri81°67°13%
  15. Sat78°68°23%
  16. Sun81°67°26%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Appleton

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Appleton

SPC includes Appleton in the general thunderstorm area today — no severe risk, but storms are possible.

  • TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
  • DAY 3NONENo severe risk

Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

January 1–5: The year turns in silence.January 6–10: Ice thickens on still water.January 11–15: Shortest shadows lengthen.January 16–20: Pheasants begin to call.January 21–25: Springs begin to thaw.January 26–31: Chickadees announce dawn.February 1–5: East wind softens the frost.February 6–10: Sap begins to rise.February 11–15: First snowdrops appear.February 16–20: Red-winged blackbirds return.February 21–25: Rain begins to replace snow.February 26–28: Skunk cabbage pushes through ice.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the reservoir.March 6–10: Crocuses open to weak sun.March 11–15: Peepers call from the marsh.March 16–20: Woodcocks spiral at dusk.March 21–25: Equinox — light overtakes dark.March 26–31: Forsythia opens along the fences.April 1–5: Cherry blossoms drift like snow.April 6–10: Warblers appear in the understory.April 11–15: Magnolias bloom and fall in a day.April 16–20: Dogwoods float above the forest.April 21–25: Lilacs perfume the evening.April 26–30: Last frost releases the garden.May 1–5: Warblers flood the Ramble.May 6–10: Tulip poplars light their candles.May 11–15: Shad run up the rivers.May 16–20: Roses open along the stoops.May 21–25: Firefly scouts appear at dusk.May 26–31: Strawberries ripen in the sun.June 1–5: Fireflies rise from the lawn.June 6–10: Elderflowers open in hedgerows.June 11–15: Solstice approaches — longest light.June 16–20: Honeysuckle sweetens the night.June 21–25: Solstice — the sun stands still.June 26–30: Lightning bugs drift through oaks.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Queen Anne's lace lines the roads.July 11–15: Thunder builds each afternoon.July 16–20: Corn reaches for the tassels.July 21–25: Dog days settle in the haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their chorus.August 1–5: Night falls a minute earlier.August 6–10: Sunflowers face the morning.August 11–15: Goldenrod begins to bloom.August 16–20: Crickets pulse through warm nights.August 21–25: First cool morning surprises.August 26–31: Monarchs stage for flight.September 1–5: School buses reappear.September 6–10: Asters purple the roadsides.September 11–15: Hawk migration over the Hudson.September 16–20: Equinox — dark overtakes light.September 21–25: Apples hang heavy on the branch.September 26–30: Geese begin to chevron south.October 1–5: Witch hazel blooms as others fade.October 6–10: Maples begin to blaze.October 11–15: Frost paints the garden black.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Leaves rattle down the gutters.October 26–31: Clocks fall back — dusk at five.November 1–5: Ginkgos drop overnight.November 6–10: Last leaves cling stubbornly.November 11–15: Juncos arrive from the north.November 16–20: Bare branches reveal the sky.November 21–25: First flurries dust the rooftops.November 26–30: Woodsmoke curls through the block.December 1–5: Darkness settles before dinner.December 6–10: Holly and winterberry persist.December 11–15: Shortest day approaches.December 16–20: Ice begins to form at the edges.December 21–25: Solstice — the sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

Annual cicada buzz begins, peaking in the heat of the day.

Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

Appleton peaks at about 73°F in July and bottoms near 17°F in January; June brings the heaviest rain (3.8 inches) and February the least (1.4 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January17°1.5″14
February20°1.4″12
March31°2.3″14
April45°2.9″17
May56°3.4″17
June67°3.8″16
July73°2.8″13
August72°2.9″14
September64°3.7″14
October52°2.6″13
November35°2.7″14
December22°1.7″14

Regional context

Appleton's climate, from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 station normals, pairs 17°F Januarys with 73°F Julys — a 56°F swing. About 31.7 inches of precipitation falls over roughly 171 days a year.

Summer convection drives Appleton's precipitation: June logs 3.8 inches on 15.7 rainy days, against February's 1.4 inches on 11.6 — warm-season storms carry Appleton's moisture. That puts Appleton in a summer-convective cohort with places like Kimberly, WI, Little Chute, WI and Combined Locks, WI.

The cool-season window in Appleton starts at late-May, when nights stop freezing — think kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. In Appleton, warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, basil — wait two weeks past Appleton's frost date. Appleton's window closes around early-October as overnight lows return below freezing. Within Appleton, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting Appleton's local frost dates.

Similar climates: Kimberly, WI, Little Chute, WI, Combined Locks, WI, Menasha, WI, Fox Crossing, WI.

Naturalist notes

American robins typically return to Appleton in late March, their territorial songs marking the transition from winter's grip to spring's promise.

Wild columbine begins flowering in May woodlands, its distinctive spurred blossoms appearing as the last frost danger passes.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Appleton?
Appleton's last spring frost lands near mid-May, and in Appleton the first fall frost follows around mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Appleton?
Rainfall in Appleton peaks in June near 3.8 inches, out of about 32 inches annually.
What is the warmest month in Appleton?
On average July tops the year in Appleton at about 73°F.
What is the coldest month in Appleton?
The coldest stretch in Appleton falls in January, around 17°F on average.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Appleton?
In Appleton, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Appleton's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Appleton get?
Appleton averages about 171 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Appleton?
With January around 17°F, Appleton's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Appleton's band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Appleton?
Appleton's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Appleton?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Appleton in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Appleton?
Current conditions for Appleton and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Appleton forecast updated?
The Appleton forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Appleton?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Appleton are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Appleton?
The next few days in Appleton's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

The warm-summer humid continental climate of Appleton, Wisconsin carries typical Januarys near 17°F and Julys around 73°F — 56°F of seasonal travel.

In a typical year Appleton records about 32 inches of precipitation on around 171 days.

From 44.3°N, Appleton sees a 56°F seasonal swing that governs Appleton's planting and frost windows.

All cities in Wisconsin →

Milwaukee, WI weather →

ZIP codes in Appleton

  • 54914
  • 54915
  • 54913
  • 54911
  • 54912
  • 54919

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.