Milwaukee - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lists include decades when Milwaukee had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Mitchell International Airport near downtown Milwaukee and cover eight decades, from the 1940s to the 2010s.

That is when Milwaukee had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Milwaukee
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 56.7 2010s 13.7
Runner-up 56.4 1990s 13.6

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Milwaukee
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 41.1 2010s 5.1
Runner-up 40.7 1990s 4.9

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Milwaukee had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 125 2010s
Runner-up 119 2000s, 1950s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Milwaukee had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 11 1980s, 1950s, 1940s
Runner-up 10 2010s, 1990s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Milwaukee had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 122 2010s
Runner-up 124 2000s, 1990s

Fewest Cold Days

Total days per year on average when Milwaukee had temperatures of 0 °F (-18 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 5 2000s
Runner-up 6 2010s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in Milwaukee had:

  • 10 more days each year with temperatures of 70 °F and higher
  • 1.5 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.8 °C)
  • 2.2 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (1.2 °C)
  • 13 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
References

Current Results. 2020. Milwaukee WI Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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