Madison, WI weather in August
Madison is warm in August, with some rain: highs average 80°F and nights drop to about 60°F. Rain falls on about 9 days. This is the peak of the warm season in Madison. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 80°F
- Normal low
- 60°F
- Wet days
- 9
- 4.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 9
- dew point 65°F+
How August changes from start to finish
| August 1 | August 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 81°F | 78°F |
| Normal low | 61°F | 57°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 32% | 30% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:48 am / 8:19 pm | 6:21 am / 7:34 pm |
| Daylight | 14.5 h | 13.2 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical August day
- 6 am63°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am72°Fdew point 62°F
- Noon77°Fdew point 61°F
- 3 pm78°Fdew point 61°F
- 6 pm75°Fdew point 61°F
- 9 pm68°Fdew point 61°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Madison Dane Rgnl Airport (6 mi away); average wind 6 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more2 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more9 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow9 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31
Average days per August, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in August
Normal precipitation is 4.2 in; a dry August brings about 2.4 in and a wet one about 5.2 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How August varies from year to year
- Warmest August, 1991-20201995: average high 87°F
- Coolest August1997: average high 75°F
- Wettest August2007: 15.2 in
- Driest August2003: 0.9 in
- Highest reading99°F (August 12, 1995)
- Lowest reading40°F (August 31, 2009)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
August compared with July and September
| July | August | September | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 82°F | 80°F | 73°F |
| Normal low | 62°F | 60°F | 51°F |
| Wet days | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| Daylight | 15.0 h | 13.9 h | 12.5 h |
Highs change by -2°F from July and -7°F into September.
Nearby alternatives in August
- Warmer: Springfield, IL226 mi · high 85°F · 8 wet days
How Madison ranks in August
- Normal high311th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 5 in Wisconsin
- Wet days220th driest of 378
- Comfortable days68th most of 341
What to pack for Madison in August
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 9 days
Heating and cooling
August has 20 heating degree days and 166 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 2% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Madison in August?
The normal high is 80°F and the normal low is 60°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest August reading was 99°F (August 12, 1995).
Does it rain a lot in Madison in August?
About 9 days in August have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.2 in. The wettest August in 1991-2020 was in 2007 (15.2 in); the driest was in 2003 (0.9 in).
Is August a good time to visit Madison?
August ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Madison (64 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days and about 2 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Madison Dane Rgnl Airport (USW00014837), 5.5 mi NNE of the city center, 866 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Dane Co Regional-Truax Field Airport (726410-14837), 5.5 mi NNE of the city center, 859 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).