<p>While I was up in Madison a couple of weeks ago, my friends who go there and some other people around Madison were warning me that the winters are brutal. They said walking to class can be torture. I am not against the cold at all. Southern Colorado never really gets below 40 in the winter though. So, I was just wondering, how "brutal"/bad are the winters? Obviously I will get a good coat.</p>
<p>Some brutal days but overall hardly that bad. Most days will have highs in the high teens low 20’s and will be comfortable once you are there a month. Also you ease into–it won;t be 20 in August–more likely mid 80’s and then gradually down until you leave in December when it’s still usually in the 30’s and not that bad. The coldest time is when you come back in Jan-February where you can get a few days of highs around 0. Now that’s cold but it usally goes away after a few days and you are back in the balmy high teens 20’s. That will feel very comfortable by then.
Add gloves and hat/earmuffs. Ears are really sensitive to the cold.</p>
<p>Madison, Wisconsin is freezing, freezing cold for the bulk of the academic year. If you’re not up for that, you’re not up for UW.</p>
<p>In the summer “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” In the winter “it’s not the cold, it’s the wind.” Cold days aren’t a big deal but the isthmus and parts of campus can act like a wind tunnel making windy days especially brutal in the winter. Honestly, I don’t think the winters are that bad. You get the same number of uncomfortably hot days as you do uncomfortably cold days. “Freezing, freezing cold” is a little melodramatic. For the majority of the days, I would take away at least one of those “freezings.” Bundle up. You’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Winter is part fo the package. Welcome to Wisconsin! We are called Cheese Head for a good reason. Wisconsin cheese will keep you warm…</p>
<p>Nova, surely you jest. (I know, don’t call me Shirley 
). I would say that from when classes begin around Labor Day until about November 1, it’s glorious, 50’s-80’s, just spectacular. The month of November can be 60 and it can be 30, still OK. December through February (okay, some of March too), however, are somewhat brutal. -10 to +20 for the most part with the occasional thaw. By April 1 it’s a little better, in the 40’s & 50’s, then right before finals it get beautiful again & is fantastic all summer.</p>
<p>Students definitely deal with it & love the change of seasons. Do not let it deter you in the least.</p>
<p>You do get used to it much more than you would think. If you are not used to cold winters, the weeks leading up to and the weeks right after winter break will be terrible, I won’t lie to you. Bundle up though, and you’ll be okay. As others have said, it’s really not the cold that is the problem, it’s the wind, and some areas of campus do create wind tunnels that are completely horrible. (East Campus Mall comes to mind.) You do acclimate much more than you think you will, however. Once we got our first really warm days I found myself thinking it was too hot!</p>
<p>I would say from the first days of school up until about Halloween it is very nice out for the most part, and it starts getting warm again in late March/April, though spring took a while this year. I will admit that by February everyone is sick of the cold and snow and it can get a little depressing, but that was the only time where I really wished I was somewhere with a different climate.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I’m from Chicago and when I visited campus for one day in January, even I thought the cold was pretty bad. It could have just been an atypical day though.</p>
<p>The academic year at UW is generally from early September to early May. Historically the only month during this period when the average high temperature is above 60 is September. That’s one month of real nice weather to me. The rest of the time you’re either chilly or freezing.</p>
<p>Madison average daily highs and lows by month
April is not bad at about 57 degrees average. May is nearly 70, August when most students return is 79, Sept 71 and October 59.6 which I wil call 60. Even the 30’s and 40’s are fine when you get used to it a few weeks. Humans are very adaptable to varying climates. I have lived in Austin TX where you average well into the 90s for months and Madison where it’s colder. Neither made much difference in my enjoyment overall. The only climate I don’t care for is Seattle with 9 months of coldish gray wet weather. Nothing I enjoy doing in that weather except being indoors. </p>
<p>Month Low High
Jan 9.3°F 25.2°F
Feb 14.3°F 30.8°F
Mar 24.6°F 42.8°F
Apr 35.2°F 56.6°F
May 46.0°F 69.4°F
Jun 55.7°F 78.3°F
Jul 61.0°F 82.1°F
Aug 58.7°F 79.4°F
Sept 49.9°F 71.4°F
Oct 38.9°F 59.6°F
Nov 27.7°F 43.3°F
Dec 15.8°F 30.2°F</p>
<p>Someone from a warm climate will probably be very cold once it does start cooling down, but like I said…you can acclimate much more than you think you can. Your sense of temperature is all relative (as a person who came to UW from Tampa, Florida!). I know many people originally from warm places who found it ridiculously hot yesterday, for example, and it was about 70 degrees here. </p>
<p>Wisconsin weather is also very unpredictable, and during fall/spring months it’s less one temperature all the time and more one really warm day, then one really cold day, so I think the averages can be misleading.</p>
<p>Lets not kid ourselves, novaparent is right: Aside from one month it’ll be so cold that if you step aside you’re blood will instantly freeze and your heart will stop pumping.</p>
<p>Sarcasm aside, Wisconsin’s weather is indeed pretty bad. In a lot of ways I feel like it’s the state’s biggest negative. That being said, there is a bit of a silver lining. October and April can be very nice months (60s) with a little luck, and if you attend UW in the summer you’ll have all the heat you can handle.</p>
<p>Yes the weather is not great buy on the list of things to worry about its about 15th. You probably won’t die from it, there won’t be any hurricanes, no earthquakes of note, and while there is a small chance of a tornado nearly every building has basement and you are pretty safe there.
I also highly recommend staying the summer if possible. You are probably paying rent, there are jobs and you can take a class or two. Everything is less crowded except the Terrace and the pace is nice and slow. After one year I never went home for summers again. There is more to do in the summer. Outdoor concerts all over, bike riding in the countryside, races at Road America. Just great overall.</p>
<p>Thank you, badger2012. Nothing like a dose of reality in a booster’s post to give it credibility. And barrons, not only is it advisable for students to take summer classes for all the reasons that you suggested – and the better weather! – it’s also a good way of avoiding becoming one of the 50 percent of UW undergrads who can’t or won’t graduate in four years. Avoid the stress and stay for the summer!</p>
<p>Ignore nova… Madison is NOT freezing for most of the school year- unless one also stated anywhere in the south was horribly, horribly hot all of the time. Freezing is below 32 degrees F and in winter temps in the 20’s are fine. Teens are cold, near and below zero is rare and bitter cold, just as 90’s are very hot and above 100 horrible…</p>
<p>Everything is relative. Humans adjust to temperatures. A sudden change seems colder/hotter than a gradual shift. Therefore you become aclimatized to temperatures- 30’s seem balmy the end of winter while 40’s are cold in late fall. It is easier to move quickly when it is not too hot- more fun to be active outdoors. </p>
<p>Also easier to study when glorious weather doesn’t beckon. The 15 minutes between classes allows for hurrying from one end of campus to the other- not typical. It is also interesting to experience different weather and have fun with snow. Best time of your life to do so is the college years. </p>
<p>I have been in Chicago when the temps were near 25 below and was delayed by the 20+ inches of snow this winter. Those conditions could change some potential Chicago transplants minds even though they are atypical conditions. Likewise in Madison students will report the early heavy snows of a couple of years ago and I remember a Christmas day in the mid 70’s… This spring students had no excuse for not studying for finals- opposite of just two years ago weatherwise.</p>
<p>Another consideration is that you choose UW-Madison for the school’s excellence, both academics and experiences. You are not permanently relocating- buying a house et al. The worst case scenario is that you try it and find the weather is more important than the rest of the package- then you transfer.</p>
<p>“Brutal” heat most of the year or brutal winters- all in the mind of the beholder. I would rather have the cold than the heat as a student.</p>
<p>Madison is cold in the winter, mild in the fall and spring and warm in the summer. Shocking, isn’t it?</p>
<p>The weather is honestly of little day to day relevance to the vast majority of students on campus. If you have some shorts and t-shirts, some jeans, a couple hoodies, some decent shoes and one good winter coat with some gloves and a hat and a pair of winter hikers you will be fine. You will also be outfitted like nearly every student on campus.</p>
<p>Weather is so far down the list of why you should or shouldn’t attend Wisconsin that I always find it funny when it gets discussed.</p>
<p>A good winter coat, gloves, a hat, and a thick pair of jeans is all you really need in the winter. The sidewalks and roads are also quickly cleared off after snowfalls, so at least you wont have to walk around in snow too much. Lived in Wisconsin for all my life and winter is a small price to pay for the gorgeous spring, summer and fall.</p>
<p>Well, I’m from the midwest and we like our seasons here (haha)</p>
<p>So yes, summers are hot and winters are cold. But I wouldn’t say it’s unbearable. Mainly, the only difficulties are the snow and wind.</p>
<p>Wind, because if you aren’t wearing some sort of windbreaker jacket or etc, the cold will just woosh right into your body. So pack a couple of windbreakers (1 really thick and 1 thin at minimum) and a couple of sweaters… although you can probably buy them in Madison at some outdoor store. Yes. a nice warm hat or earmuffs really help out.</p>
<p>I would beware of the ice and snow though. Get shoes (that are well insulated) with good gripping ability and warm socks (I like fuzzy ones). Also, as you are probably already aware, snow is cold to walk through but is really WET and COLD when it melts so make sure that you are prepared for that after a fun snowball fight.</p>
<p>So yes, it’s cold but hey, we have skiiing and sledding and all sorts of fun things to do. I personally like it (because I get to drink hot cocoa and cuddle with my blanket). It’s not that bad. Pack and dress conservatively for a while and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>ONE THING YOU SHOULD HAVE:</p>
<p>Rain boots.
I’m sure there’s a guy kind of version too but for girls DEFINITELY get some tall rain boots. There are so many cute ones and they’re not expensive. You can wear them from when it starts to get slushy up until it gets insanely cold and you just have to break out the Uggs. Just wear them with really fuzzy warm socks - even on bitter, bitter cold days you could wear them with multiple pairs of socks and they’ll be waterproof and awesome. My Uggs got pretty ruined over the course of the winter…and there were a lot of days I needed boots but didn’t want the warmth of Uggs. They’re definitely on my list of things to get for next year.</p>
<p>RAIN BOOTS. GET THEM. DO IT.</p>
<p>DO NOT GET RAIN BOOTS.</p>
<p>There, that capitalized comment needed a counter. Also, do not worry about being fashionable. Some students will try to be in fashion but many won’t. UW students come in all versions and you should never worry about needing to have “proper” brands or items of clothing. Remember that rain boots will not let air flow- your feet could sweat in a warm classroom. Your time outdoors/indoors may determine your choices. Perhaps lined hiking boots will be your choice for warmth and waterproofing (spray silicone on them for waterproofing). You will have plenty of time to prepare for cold weather after you arrive on campus and can wait to get the winter stuff. The best selection and prices will be available in fall, not before then.</p>