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

Bristol, Wisconsin Weather

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

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

Bristol, WI
Saturday, July 4 at 5:08 PM
76
°
Overcast
Feels like
81°
Humidity
78%
Wind
4 mph
Sunrise
12:20 AM
Sunset
3:32 PM
Bristol, WI
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastBristol, WI: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 64 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit with a 53% chance of precipitation at 5 PM.
L 64°H 78°
Bristol, WI
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Drizzle
    56%
    0.04″
    82°67°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    78°64°-4°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    —
    —
    76°61°-2°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Overcast
    —
    —
    80°57°+4°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Drizzle
    28%
    —
    82°61°+2°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Thunderstorm
    52%
    0.01″
    75°62°-7°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Light Drizzle
    30%
    —
    76°60°+1°
Bristol, WI
Next 24 hours · Mild now
60°71°82°12p6p12a6anow 76°high 78°low 64°PRECIP %
Bristol, WI
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
NE
047° · veering 126°
Direction
NE
047°
Sustained
4
mph
Gust
6
mph
Peak 24h
18
avg 5
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT 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 18 @ 5:00a
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 2012SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Bristol, WI
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
986.5
-0.9 mb in 3h · falling · 29.13 inHg
Now
986.5
mb
3h
-0.9
mb
12h
-0.4
mb
24h
-0.7
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 986–988
9809859909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW987.9986.0986.5
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Deep low still deepening — rough seas, strong wind, persistent rain.
Bristol, WI
Air quality
46
AQI
Good
↑+7 in 6h

AQI 46 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI up 7 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). Ozone at AQI 71 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5Good
11.5μg/m³
PM 10Good
12μg/m³
NO₂Good
6μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERUnhealthy SG
120μg/m³
UV IndexLow
1.6

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 71 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.

Present
AQI 71
UV peak
1.4 at earlier today
Sky at peak
partly cloudy
Projected peak
AQI 71

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 11.5 µg/m³, PM10 at 12.3 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

PM2.5/PM10
0.93
Wind
calm
Recent rain
1h in last 6h
Pattern
background

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/m³330
Bristol, WI
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
38.9mi
UNLIMITED
51 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
22:08 UTC · Bristol, 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
22:08 UTC · Bristol, WI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Bristol, WI
Satellite · infrared · animated
Bristol, WI
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Bristol, WI
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
4:46 AM
Sunrise
12:20 AM
Daylight
15h 12m
Sunset
3:32 PM
Civil dusk
9:08 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Bristol, WI
The moon
Waning Gibbous
78% illuminated
Moonrise
10:50 PM
Moonset
9:55 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Bristol, WI
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

plant
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Bristol at a glance

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

ZIP code: 53104

16-Day Forecast — Bristol

  1. Sat82°67°56%
  2. Sun78°64°6%
  3. Mon76°61°2%
  4. Tue80°57°2%
  5. Wed82°61°28%
  6. Thu75°62°52%
  7. Fri76°60°30%
  8. Sat74°56°10%
  9. Sun76°55°7%
  10. Mon72°54°9%
  11. Tue80°56°8%
  12. Wed78°62°33%
  13. Thu82°62°24%
  14. Fri76°70°21%
  15. Sat78°59°26%
  16. Sun72°57°32%

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

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 — Bristol

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

  • TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • 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

In Bristol, July runs warmest near 75°F and January coldest around 22°F, while May is the wettest month (3.7 inches) and January the driest (1.8 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January22°1.8″15
February24°1.9″13
March35°2.7″15
April47°3.4″17
May57°3.7″18
June68°3.4″15
July75°2.5″13
August74°2.8″13
September67°3.1″14
October54°2.9″13
November39°3.2″14
December26°2.3″13

Regional context

Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Bristol's January averages 22°F and July 75°F — 53°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 33.6 inches over some 173 days.

Rainfall in Bristol stays even across the calendar: May tops out at 3.7 inches over 18.0 rainy days, and January still logs 1.8 inches across 14.6 — a narrow range for Bristol. That lines Bristol up with places like Paddock Lake, WI, Salem Lakes, WI and Pleasant Prairie, WI, fed by overlapping storm tracks.

The cool-season window in Bristol starts at late-May, when nights stop freezing — think kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Warm-soil crops in Bristol wait about two weeks past Bristol's last frost, once the soil warms. Bristol's window closes around early-October as overnight lows return below freezing. Within Bristol, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting Bristol's local frost dates.

Similar climates: Paddock Lake, WI, Salem Lakes, WI, Pleasant Prairie, WI, Kenosha, WI, Somers, WI.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Bristol?
In Bristol, expect the last spring frost near mid-May; Bristol's first autumn frost comes around mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Bristol?
May is the wettest month in Bristol, about 3.7 inches on average; the year totals roughly 34 inches.
What is the warmest month in Bristol?
Bristol peaks in July, when the mean runs near 75°F.
What is the coldest month in Bristol?
January is Bristol's coldest month, averaging about 22°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Bristol?
In Bristol, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Bristol's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Bristol get?
Bristol averages about 173 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Bristol?
Since January in Bristol averages 22°F, Bristol's USDA zone follows that floor — confirm it by ZIP.
What is the 10-day forecast for Bristol?
Bristol'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 Bristol?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Bristol in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Bristol?
Current conditions for Bristol and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Bristol forecast updated?
The Bristol forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Bristol?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Bristol 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 Bristol?
The next few days in Bristol's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

In Bristol, Wisconsin, the warm-summer humid continental climate runs from about 22°F in January to 75°F in July, a 53°F seasonal range.

Yearly precipitation in Bristol totals around 34 inches, spread over about 173 days of rain or snow.

From 42.5°N, Bristol sees a 53°F seasonal swing that governs Bristol's planting and frost windows.

All cities in Wisconsin →

Kenosha, WI weather →

ZIP codes in Bristol

  • 53142
  • 53104

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.