Wisconsinites haven’t been able to escape summer’s clutches, as July-like heat dragged through much of September and now into early October.
Some may be tempted to declare this stretch as a “second summer,” but our first summer never really seemed to end! Tendrils of summer heat have been reaching farther and farther into Wisconsin’s autumns in recent years.
By this time of year, we should be comfortably wearing our fall flannels and sipping hot apple cider with a brisk chill in the air. Instead, the air conditioning is still blasting, and some outdoor pools have remained open.
October 3 through 5 were exceptionally hot, with at least 18 records broken or tied across the state.
On October 3, high temperatures were just shy of 90 degrees in places as far north as Green Bay! A high of 88 degrees marked Titletown’s hottest October temperature — a benchmark that had previously been reached in October 2023. This heat wasn’t just seasonally unusual for the city, but generally speaking as well: Green Bay’s average highs in July are typically in the lower 80s.
La Crosse reached 90 degrees on October 3, only the fifth time that the city has reached the 90s in October.
| Location | High Temperatures (°F) on Oct 3, 2025 | Previous Daily Record High |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | 87° | 85° in 2005 |
| Milwaukee | 87° | 86° in 2018 |
| Green Bay | 88° | 86° in 2023 |
| Merrill | 84° | 83° in 1992 |
| Appleton | 88° | 86° in 2005 |
| Oshkosh | 87° | 87° in 2005 |
| Wausau | 83° | 83° in 2023 |
| Rhinelander | 82° | 82° in 1922 |
| Location | High Temperatures (°F) on Oct 4, 2025 | Previous Daily Record High |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse | 89° | 88° in 2005 |
| Green Bay | 87° | 84° in 1967 |
| Appleton | 87° | 84° in 1922 |
| Antigo | 83° | 82° in 1897 |
| Rhinelander | 82° | 81° in 1922 |
| Eau Claire | 88° | 86° in 1897 |
Looking at the average high temperatures for early October really emphasizes the unusual nature of this heat.
Wausau saw low temperatures around 60 degrees, which is closer to where the city’s average afternoon highs should be! Morning temperatures should be in the 30s and 40s up north by this time of year.
The morning of October 5 was so mild that some locations in northern Wisconsin set new records for warm minimum temperatures.
| Location | Low Temperatures (°F) on Oct 5, 2025 | Previous Daily Record Warm Low |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | 64° | 60° in 1955 |
| Wausau | 62° | 61° in 1900 |
| Rhinelander | 62° | 59° in 1969 |
| Wisconsin Rapids | 62° | 62° in 2007 |
Despite some comparatively cooler weather in the forecast this week, October’s overall outlook for Wisconsin remains warmer than average. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting high chances of temperatures remaining warmer than average through at least mid-October.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that temperatures will remain in the 80s and 90s for the next two weeks, but it does suggest a delay in the onset of freezing temperatures and a delay in the turning of fall foliage.
Summer’s heat stretching into the fall season is becoming more common in Wisconsin. Seven of Wisconsin’s last 10 autumns have been warmer than average. Average fall temperatures have increased by as much as four degrees in parts of the state since 1950.
If you remember in 2024, many locations in the state saw a burst of October heat just before Halloween, setting records for the latest 80s in the season. Wisconsin’s fall of 2024 tied for the state’s warmest on record.
A similar pattern could be repeating itself this season.