Friendship Weather by Month (52 Inches of Snow a Year)

A typical January day in Friendship tops out at 25°F and drops to 6°F overnight, and a typical July day reaches 82°F and cools to 59°F. That swing is the first thing to know about Friendship weather: this is a four-season village in the middle of Wisconsin, and the season you pick decides which half of the area makes sense.

The numbers on this page are the official 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Friendship weather station, published by NOAA. They describe an average year, not any particular week, so check a live forecast before you pack.

What is the weather like in Friendship?

Friendship has warm, wet summers, cold, snowy winters and short shoulder seasons in between. The village gets about 35 inches of precipitation and 52 inches of snow in an average year, and the record range runs from 106°F in July to minus 40°F in January.

Summer is the wettest stretch, mostly from thunderstorms, and winter is the driest though it is the snowiest, because cold air holds little moisture and the snow is light and fluffy. Spring and fall are where the comfortable days are, and they go quickly.

Friendship weather by month

These are NOAA's monthly averages for Friendship. Highs and lows are the average daily maximum and minimum, and precipitation includes melted snow.

July is both the warmest month and the wettest, with 4.64 inches of rain on average. December is the snowiest, with 14.8 inches, just ahead of February.

Extremes worth knowing

Averages hide the edges, and Friendship's edges are wide. The village has records going back to 1930, and in that time it has hit 104°F in May, 102°F in June and 106°F in July, and fallen to minus 40°F in January, minus 36°F in February and minus 33°F in December.

Frost can arrive late and leave early. The record low for May is 17°F and for September 23°F, so an early-season camping trip or a late-September weekend can still bring a hard freeze, even in a year that feels mild.

In a typical year, something falls from the sky on about 131 days. Snow of at least a tenth of an inch falls on about 32 days, mostly between December and February, when each month sees snow on roughly eight days.

Summer in Friendship: June to August

Summer days in Friendship average highs from the upper 70s to the low 80s, with nights in the mid to upper 50s. On the hottest day of a typical year the thermometer reaches about 95°F.

This is also the wet season. June, July and August each average more than 4.3 inches of rain, and July sees rain on about 10 days. Most of it comes as afternoon and evening thunderstorms, so plan the water for the morning and keep an eye on the sky after lunch.

It is lake season. The swimming area and launch at Castle Rock Park are busiest now, and the Adams County Fair fills the fairground in August, in the hottest stretch of the year. If you are spending a summer day on Castle Rock Lake, the early start matters more than anywhere else, because there is little shade on the water.

Fall in Friendship: September and October

Fall is the best weather for walking and climbing. September highs average 73°F and October highs 59°F, with cool nights, and the rain drops off from 3.5 inches in September to about 2.5 in October.

The first flakes usually show up in late October, but October averages only a trace of snow, 0.2 inches. Frost is common by then, with October lows averaging 37°F.

Winter in Friendship: December to February

Winter is cold and snowy. Highs average 25°F to 31°F, lows 6°F to 14°F, and the coldest night of a typical winter drops to about minus 22°F. December, January and February bring 40 inches of snow between them.

Snow changes how you get around. At Roche-A-Cri the main entrance closes for winter, so you park in the lot on the north side of Czech Avenue, west of WIS-13, and the trails become ungroomed snowshoe and ski routes.

Winter is also ice fishing season on Friendship Lake, which the local land office calls great ice fishing, and Adams County Castle Rock Park stays open as a designated snowmobile unload and load area. Some lake-side bars cut their days back in the off season, so check hours before you drive out.

Spring in Friendship: March to May

Spring arrives in stages. March still averages 6.5 inches of snow and highs of 42°F, April warms to 56°F with a couple of inches of late snow, and by May highs reach 69°F and the snow is done. By mid-May the sun rises before 5:40 a.m. and sets after 8 p.m., which leaves long, light evenings for the water.

So when should you visit Friendship?

For the lake and the fair, come in July or August and plan around afternoon storms. For the stairway, the trails and the best walking weather, come in September or early October. For snowshoeing and ice fishing, come in January or February and pack for nights well below zero. Late May and early June are the quieter alternative to midsummer, with highs near 70°F, long days and the lake not yet crowded.

Whatever the month, a year of things to do in Friendship works best if you match the trip to the season rather than the other way around. The 9-hole course at MoundView and its clubhouse fish fry fit any warm-weather visit.

What to pack for each season

For summer, pack for heat and storms: sunscreen and a hat for the water, a rain shell for the afternoon thunderstorms, and something warm for evenings that drop into the 50s.

For fall, bring layers. An October day can start near freezing and reach the upper 50s by afternoon, and good shoes matter on the stairway when the steps are wet with leaves.

For winter, dress for single digits and below: an insulated coat, a hat that covers your ears, waterproof boots, and traction for icy steps. With 52 inches of snow a year, keep a scraper and a blanket in the car.

Checking the forecast

Friendship's forecasts come from the National Weather Service office in La Crosse, which also keeps the climate records used on this page. For the next few days, use the NWS forecast for Friendship or your weather app of choice, and treat the monthly averages above as a guide to what to pack, not a promise.