Easter Climate

Easter can occur anywhere from March 22nd to April 25th.  The next time that Easter will occur on the earliest date is 2285.  Meanwhile, it will not occur on the latest date until 2038.  Below are some Easter climate statistics for La Crosse, WI, and Rochester, MN. All referenced temperatures are Fahrenheit.

La Crosse, WI:

The following statistics comprise 151 years of data. From 1873 through 1950, the data came from various locations in downtown La Crosse. Since 1950, the data has been gathered at the La Crosse Regional Airport.

The odds of having any precipitation at all on Easter are 45% (68 out of 151).  There has been measurable (0.01" or greater) precipitation on 51 Easters (33.8%) and trace amounts of precipitation on another 17 Easters (11.3%).  

Since 1897, it has snowed on 23 out of 127 (18.1%) Easters.  Measurable snow (0.1" or greater) has fallen on 12 Easters (9.4%) and trace amounts fell on another 11 Easters (8.7%). The last time measurable snow fell on Easter was in 2020 (April 12). when 1.5" fell.

Since 1893, residents have woken up with measurable snow (1/2" or greater) on the ground 15 times (11.5%), trace amounts (less than a 1/2") 7 times (5.3%), and no snow 109 times (83.2%).  The last time that there was measurable snow on the ground on Easter was in 2008 (March 23rd) when there were 3 inches of snow on the ground at 7 a.m.

In 2024, Easter will be on March 31.  This will be the first Easter in March since 2016 (March 27). Since 1873, Easter has occurred on March 31, 6 times (1907,1918, 1929, 1991, 2002, and 2013). 

• The next time Easter will occur on this date is 2086.  After that, it will not fall on this date again until 2097.
• In 2025, Easter will fall on April 20.  The last time it has fallen on that date was in 2014.

Last Easter (April 9, 2023), the high temperature was 72°F and the low temperature was 42°F.  No precipitation fell. The average wind speed was 10.4 mph and there was no snow on the ground at 7 a.m.

Rochester, MN:

The following statistics comprise 111 years of data. From 1887 through 1931, the data came from several cooperative observers in the Rochester area. Since 1932, the data has been gathered at the Rochester International Airport. No data was taken on Easter from 1889 to 1891, 1908, and 1921 to 1928.

The odds of having any precipitation at all on Easter are 44.9% (48 out of 107).  There has been measurable (0.01" or greater) precipitation on 39 Easters (36.4%) and trace amounts of precipitation on another 9 Easters (8.4%). 

It has snowed on 20 out of 103 (19.4%) Easters. Measurable snow (0.1" or greater) has fallen on 14 Easters (13.6%) and trace amounts of snow fell on another 6 Easters (5.8%). 

Residents have woken up with measurable snow (half-inch or greater) on the ground 12 times (14.6%), trace amounts (less than a half-inch) 12 times (14.6%), and no snow 58 times (70.7%). 

In 2024, Easter will be on March 31.  This will be the first Easter in March since 2016 (March 27). Since 1886, Easter has occurred on March 31, 6 times (1907,1918, 1929, 1991, 2002, and 2013). 

• The next time Easter will occur on this date is 2086.  After that, it will not fall on this date again until 2097.
• In 2025, Easter will fall on April 20.  The last time it has fallen on that date was in 2014.

Last Easter (April 9, 2023), the high temperature was 68°F and the low temperature was 43°F.  A trace of rain fell. The average wind speed was 16.1 mph and there was no snow on the ground at 7 a.m.

	Easter Weather History

In 1929 (March 31st), snow began falling on the evening of March 30th in Wisconsin and continued to fall through March 31st (Easter) and into the morning of April 1st.  Snow amounts ranged from 2 inches in southwest Wisconsin to two feet or more in some northeastern localities.  Prior to this storm, the snow had practically disappeared from central and southern counties.  This snow was accompanied by high wind, and in the southern and southwestern sections by sleet and glaze.  In addition, thunder was reported at La Crosse on Easter.  Roads were blocked and traffic was seriously delayed over a wide area.  Trees and overhead wire systems suffered severely.  The drifting snow isolated small towns for several days.  Damage was estimated in the millions of dollars.  Some snow totals included: Plymouth (18.0"), Eau Claire (10.5"), La Crosse (10.3"), Madison (7.9"), West Bend (7.0"), Merrill (7.1"), Viroqua (7.0"), and Darlington (6.0").  The image below is courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and it shows how much and where the snow fell from March 30 through April 1, 1929. The following weather events affected southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and western Wisconsin on Easter:

• In 1952 (April 13th), precipitation began falling across northern and western Iowa, southern Minnesota, and much of Wisconsin on April 12th and continued on Easter (April 13th).  The precipitation was in the form of heavy snow that fell from northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota northeast into central and eastern Upper Michigan.   Some roads in parts of northeast Iowa were only open to one-way traffic which was an unwelcome reminder of the winter just past.  Meanwhile, freezing rain and sleet fell over the extreme eastern portions of Wisconsin.  The freezing rain caused many breaks in power transmission and telephone lines.  More than 200 poles of the Wisconsin Telephone Company were broken because of ice-coated wires and high winds.  Northeasterly gales caused erosion damage along the west shore of Lake Michigan during the storm. The following snow totals were reported with this storm:
   
  • In Iowa: Charles City (6.1") and Cresco (6").
  • In Minnesota: Rochester (6.5") and Spring Grove (6.1").
  • In Wisconsin: La Farge (12", tied for greatest one-day snowfall with 2/23/1994), Hatfield (10"), Gays Mills (9"), La Crosse (7.3"), Lancaster (7"), Sparta (6"), and Viroqua (6").
  • The image below is courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and it shows how much and where the snow fell from April 12 through April 14, 1952.
     
    

• In 1958 (April 6th), a winter storm produced 6 to 13 inches of snow across northern Wisconsin.  The highest snow totals were at Breakwater (13"), Laona (12'), Long Lake Dam (12"), Minocqua (12'), Rhinelander (12'), and South Pelican (12").  Locally, 1 to 2 inches of snow fell across Clark and Taylor Counties.  Also on this date, both Owen, WI (2.80") and Medford, WI (2.07") had their wettest April day.
   
  

• In 1960 (April 17th), Prairie du Chien, WI (2.15") had their wettest April day.

• In 1974 (April 14th), a narrow band of snow fell across the southern tier of counties in Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and from southwest Wisconsin northeast into northern Lower Michigan.  Most locations saw less than 2 inches of snow; however, there were higher snow reports in parts of southwest and central Wisconsin.  Some of these snow reports included 7 inches in Mauston, and 4 inches in Viroqua and Necedah.  Also on this day, Platteville, WI (2.42" liquid equivalent) had their wettest April day.  The image below is courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and it shows how much and where the snow fell on April 14, 1974.
   
  

• In 1976 (April 18th), Charles City (3.06") had itsr wettest April day. Also, just over 3 inches of rain fell in New Hampton, IA (3.04") and Decorah, IA (3.03").  The image below is courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and it shows how much and where the precipitation fell on April 18, 1976.
   
  

• In 1986 (March 30th), unusual warmth was seen across the Upper Mississippi River Valley on March 29th and continued into March 30th (Easter).  The following locations had their warmest March temperatures:
   
  • In Iowa: Decorah (84) and Cresco (83).
  • In Minnesota: Caledonia (86) and Preston (82).
  • In Wisconsin: Mather (84), Richland Center (84), Sparta (84), Theilman (83), and Owen (78).
     

    High Temperatures on March 30, 1986 (Compliments Midwestern Regional Climate Center)	Temperature Departures on March 30, 1986 (Compliments Midwestern Regional Climate Center)

• In 2004 (April 11th), a narrow band of snow produced 3 inches in Friendship, WI and 1.8 inches near (2 miles southeast) Necedah, WI on Easter (April 11th) morning.  The image below is courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and it shows how much and where the snow fell on April 11, 2004.
   
  
   
• In 2019 (April 21), the high temperature climbed to 84°F at La Crosse (their second warmest Easter) and 83°F at Rochester (their third warmest Easter).
   
• In 2020 (April 12), a late-season storm system brought a swath of significant snow to parts of northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and western into north-central Wisconsin. Snow fell heavily at times, with even a few lightning strikes noted, while farther east much of the precipitation was initially in the form of rain before changing to wet snow during the late afternoon and evening hours. Snowfall totals ranged from 1 to as much as 10 inches, with significant travel disruption noted across the region.  This was the 2nd snowiest Easter on record for Rochester, MN with 7.5 inches.  In addition strong north to northwest winds behind the storm caused blowing and drifting snow, especially in the open country late in the day into the evening hours.  Many roads were snow-covered and treacherous. https://www.weather.gov/arx/apr1220
   
  
   
• In 2021 (April 4), it was an unusually warm Easter across the Upper Mississippi River Valley.  High temperatures ranged from the mid-70s to the lower 80s.  The highest temperature was 83°F at Black River Falls, WI.  Both La Crosse WI (80°F) & Rochester MN (81°F) had their 5th warmest high temperature on Easter.