Best time to visit Milwaukee
The best time to visit Milwaukee is May–September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -1.5 °C / 29 °F | -7.6 °C / 18 °F | 49 mm / 1.9 in | neither best nor good |
| February | -0.7 °C / 31 °F | -7.6 °C / 18 °F | 48 mm / 1.9 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 5.3 °C / 42 °F | -1.7 °C / 29 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 10.5 °C / 51 °F | 3.5 °C / 38 °F | 105 mm / 4.1 in | good month |
| May | 16.6 °C / 62 °F | 9.4 °C / 49 °F | 88 mm / 3.5 in | best month |
| June | 22.7 °C / 73 °F | 15.6 °C / 60 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| July | 26 °C / 79 °F | 19.1 °C / 66 °F | 81 mm / 3.2 in | best month |
| August | 25.3 °C / 78 °F | 18.5 °C / 65 °F | 83 mm / 3.3 in | best month |
| September | 21.7 °C / 71 °F | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 82 mm / 3.2 in | best month |
| October | 15 °C / 59 °F | 8.3 °C / 47 °F | 89 mm / 3.5 in | good month |
| November | 7.6 °C / 46 °F | 1.7 °C / 35 °F | 54 mm / 2.1 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 1.5 °C / 35 °F | -3.9 °C / 25 °F | 68 mm / 2.7 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May–September
- Good
- April, October
Milwaukee is best for outdoor exploring from May through September, with warm, sunny days and only modest rain; April and October are good but cooler and greyer with more rain, while November through March are too cold and dull for comfortable walking.
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 69%, precipitation 105 mm / 4.1 in, relative humidity 68%.
Against: average daily high 10.5 °C / 51 °F, wet days 12.4 days, days with heavy rain 3.6 days, feels like (high) 7 °C / 45 °F, average daily low 3.5 °C / 38 °F.
Also on: Art in Bloom, Milwaukee Film Festival, Spring bloom.
Watch out for: Good Friday and Easter closures.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.1 °C / 59 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, average daily high 16.6 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 88 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, average daily low 9.4 °C / 49 °F, relative humidity 70%.
Against: wet days 11.2 days.
Watch out for: Memorial Day.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.2 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 22.7 °C / 73 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, average daily low 15.6 °C / 60 °F, relative humidity 71%.
Against: wet days 10.8 days.
Also on: Juneteenth, Milwaukee Highland Games, Pride Fest, Water Lantern Festival.
Watch out for: Juneteenth crowd safety.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.9 °C / 82 °F, average daily high 26 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, precipitation 81 mm / 3.2 in, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, average daily low 19.1 °C / 66 °F, relative humidity 71%.
Against: wet days 10.2 days.
Also on: Armenian Fest, Bastille Days, Croatian Fest, Festa Italiana, Milwaukee Brewfest, Riverwest 24 Bike Race.
Watch out for: Independence Day closures.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.8 °C / 80 °F, average daily high 25.3 °C / 78 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, precipitation 83 mm / 3.3 in, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, wet days 9.7 days, average daily low 18.5 °C / 65 °F, relative humidity 73%.
Also on: Bloody Mary Festival, IndiaFest, Irish Fest, Mexican Fiesta, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, Waukesha BluesFest, Wisconsin State Fair.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.4 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 21.7 °C / 71 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, precipitation 82 mm / 3.2 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, wet days 9.4 days, average daily low 14.7 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 73%.
Also on: Harvest Fair, Labor Fest, Milwaukee Rally, Summerfest, Third Ward Art Festival.
Watch out for: Labor Day closures.
October · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 69%, precipitation 89 mm / 3.5 in, average daily high 15 °C / 59 °F, average daily low 8.3 °C / 47 °F, relative humidity 70%.
Against: wet days 10.2 days, days with heavy rain 3.2 days, sunshine per day 7.6 h, feels like (high) 12.1 °C / 54 °F.
Also on: Milwaukee Comedy Festival, Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, Oktoberfest, PrideToberFest.
Watch out for: Columbus Day closures, Halloween business closures.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Blue Knob, 833 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -6.7 °C | -5.8 °C | 1 °C | 7 °C | 15.1 °C | 23.2 °C | 27.9 °C | 26.8 °C | 21.4 °C | 12.1 °C | 3.4 °C | -3.3 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1.4 days | 1.4 days | 2.6 days | 3.6 days | 2.7 days | 2.8 days | 2.4 days | 2.7 days | 2.6 days | 3.2 days | 1.8 days | 2 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 1 am | 2 pm | 10 pm | 11 pm | 2 pm | 6 am | 2 am | 9 am | 8 am | 12 am | 8 pm | 6 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 5.7 h | 7.3 h | 8.6 h | 9.3 h | 10.7 h | 11.9 h | 12.5 h | 11.6 h | 9.8 h | 7.6 h | 6.3 h | 5 h |
| Relative humidity | 73% | 71% | 70% | 68% | 70% | 71% | 71% | 73% | 73% | 70% | 70% | 75% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 6.9 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 11.8 µg/m³ | 16.9 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 10.7 µg/m³ | 8.4 µg/m³ | 6.1 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ | 6.5 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 11.2 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 19.3 µg/m³ | 25.3 µg/m³ | 20.6 µg/m³ | 16 µg/m³ | 13.1 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 9.7 µg/m³ | 11.7 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Polar Bear Plunge
January
- Cool Fool Kite Festival
January
- Anime Milwaukee
February
- Burnhearts Mitten Fest
February
- St. Patrick's Day Parade
March
- Brewers' Opening Day
March
- Spring bloom
April
- Art in Bloom
April
- Milwaukee Film Festival
April
- Pride Fest
June
- Juneteenth
19 June
- Water Lantern Festival
June
- Milwaukee Highland Games
1–10 June
- Bastille Days
11–17 July
- Riverwest 24 Bike Race
July
- Croatian Fest
July
- Armenian Fest
July
- Milwaukee Brewfest
July
- Festa Italiana
July
- Wisconsin State Fair
1–10 August
- Mexican Fiesta
August
- Milwaukee Fringe Festival
August
- Irish Fest
August
- Waukesha BluesFest
August
- IndiaFest
August
- Bloody Mary Festival
August
- Labor Fest
September, dates vary from year to year
- Summerfest
September
- Third Ward Art Festival
September
- Harvest Fair
September
- Milwaukee Rally
September
- Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon
October
- PrideToberFest
October
- Milwaukee Comedy Festival
October
- Oktoberfest
October
- Country Christmas and holiday markets
November and December
- Holiday Folk Fair International
November
- Christkindlmarket
December
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year's Day closures
1 January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures
January, dates vary from year to year
- Presidents' Day closures
February, dates vary from year to year
- Good Friday and Easter closures
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Memorial Day
May, dates vary from year to year
- Juneteenth crowd safety
19 June
- Independence Day closures
4 July
- Labor Day closures
September, dates vary from year to year
- Columbus Day closures
October, dates vary from year to year
- Halloween business closures
31 October
- Veterans Day closures
11 November
- Thanksgiving travel rush
November, dates vary from year to year
- Christmas Day shutdown
25 December