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Dew Point Today in Milwaukee
The current dew point in Milwaukee, WI, what comfort level it falls into, and what that means for running, sleeping, and working outdoors today.
Milwaukee sits where two air masses meet. Continental air from the north keeps winter dew points near or below freezing — the same bone-dry pattern Minneapolis gets — but Lake Michigan sits between them, and water warms and cools far more slowly than land does. That lag is what separates Milwaukee from an inland city at the same latitude: spring dew points stay colder than the calendar suggests, and autumn holds its moisture longer.
Current Dew Point in Milwaukee, WI
7-Day Dew Point Forecast
Today and tomorrow at a glance — the next seven days of dew point at Milwaukee, WI, so you can see the sticky ones coming.
Dew Point Today, Hour by Hour
The next 24 hours of dew point at Milwaukee, WI, in local time. The quiet stretches are usually the early morning — dew point climbs through the afternoon and eases after sunset.
Dew Point Around Milwaukee and Nearby Cities
Humidity changes fast across short distances — a lake breeze or a hill can move the dew point by several degrees. These readings refresh with the page.
| Location | Dew point now | Compared to Milwaukee | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI — this page | … | — | … |
| Chicago, IL | … | — | … |
| Madison, WI | … | — | … |
| Kenosha, WI | … | — | … |
| Racine, WI | … | — | … |
Dew Point Records and Averages in Milwaukee
Milwaukee's humidity has a long memory. Using 30 years of reanalysis data (1995–2024) for the coordinates of Milwaukee, WI, the numbers below are what this city actually does — not a national average applied to it. These are the highest values in that reanalysis period, not an official observing-station record.
- Highest dew point in reanalysis
- 81°F
- June 14, 2022
- Typical July peak
- 67°F
- Median 63°F — July is the hardest month
- When it eases off
- September
- Dew points fall back below the sticky range
So if someone asks what the average dew point in Milwaukee is, the honest answer is that it depends on the month: the city spends most of the year in the dry and comfortable ranges and only a few weeks in the sticky one. The month-by-month table above shows exactly where the line falls. See the comfort scale →
Dew Point in Milwaukee by Month
Typical dew point for each month in Milwaukee, WI — the middle 50% of days (25th to 75th percentile) from 1995–2024 of reanalysis data, with the median for the month.
| Month | Typical range | Median | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9–26°F | 19°F / -7.2°C | Dry |
| February | 9–27°F | 19°F / -7.2°C | Dry |
| March | 19–32°F | 26°F / -3.3°C | Dry |
| April | 30–39°F | 34°F / 1.1°C | Dry |
| May | 40–52°F | 46°F / 7.8°C | Dry |
| June | 53–63°F | 57°F / 13.9°C | Comfortable |
| Julyhardest | 58–67°F | 63°F / 17.2°C | Slightly humid |
| August | 58–67°F | 63°F / 17.2°C | Slightly humid |
| September | 51–62°F | 56°F / 13.3°C | Comfortable |
| October | 36–51°F | 43°F / 6.1°C | Dry |
| November | 24–39°F | 32°F / 0°C | Dry |
| December | 16–30°F | 24°F / -4.4°C | Dry |
July is the hardest month in Milwaukee — the median dew point is 63°F (17.2°C) and the muggiest quarter of days sit in the 58–67°F band. January is the most comfortable, at a median of 19°F (-7.2°C).
Today’s reading is at the top of this page — compare it against the table to see whether you are in a normal stretch or an unusual one. See what counts as a comfortable dew point →
What This Dew Point Means in Milwaukee
Whatever the reading above says, the interpretation is the same everywhere. Below 55°F you can go at full effort outdoors. Between 55°F and 65°F it is pleasant to slightly sticky. From 65°F to 70°F most people feel genuinely uncomfortable and outdoor workouts get harder. Above 70°F, sweat stops cooling you efficiently — move exercise to early morning and take heat safety seriously.
Dew Point in Milwaukee — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dew point in Milwaukee right now?
The live reading at the top of this page is pulled for Milwaukee's coordinates and refreshes whenever the page loads. It also shows the comfort level and what it means for running, sleeping, and working outdoors.
What is the record high dew point for Milwaukee?
The highest value in Milwaukee's 1995–2024 reanalysis record is 81°F, reached on June 14, 2022. That is the same 30-year window the monthly table above uses — not an official observing-station record, which is a different and shorter dataset. The median July dew point reaches about 63°F, so the all-time mark sits roughly 18°F above a normal summer high.
Is Chicago as humid as Milwaukee?
Almost always, and the reason is geography: the two cities sit on the same shore of Lake Michigan and share the same air mass, so their sticky days line up within a day or two — when Chicago turns muggy, Milwaukee usually follows. Milwaukee runs slightly cooler and slightly drier on average, because it is further north and its summer heat waves are shorter. The table above shows both readings side by side.
How does Lake Michigan affect Milwaukee's dew point?
Yes, and mostly by slowing it down. Water changes temperature far more slowly than land, so the lake keeps Milwaukee's spring dew points lower and its autumn dew points higher than an inland city at the same latitude would see. On a hot summer afternoon a lake breeze can pull the dew point down several degrees within a mile or two of the shore — which is why the lakefront and a town like Waukesha can read differently on the same day.
How bad is a 63°F dew point?
63°F is sticky enough to notice — sweat evaporates more slowly, outdoor workouts feel harder than the air temperature suggests, and the air stays muggy after sunset. Anything above 70°F is where most people start calling the air oppressive indoors without air conditioning.
What is a comfortable dew point in Milwaukee?
The comfort scale is the same everywhere: a dew point between 50°F and 60°F (10–16°C) feels comfortable to most people in Milwaukee, 60–65°F starts to feel sticky, and anything above 70°F feels oppressive. Local climate changes how often you see each range, not how it feels.
How often does the Milwaukee dew point update?
The reading on this page refreshes every 30 minutes from Open-Meteo, and the timestamp shown is Milwaukee local time. Dew point moves slowly compared with air temperature, so a recent reading is reliable for planning the next few hours.
Why is dew point better than the humidity percentage?
Relative humidity changes meaning with the temperature — 50% is dry on a cool morning and oppressive on a hot afternoon. Dew point is absolute, so 65°F always represents the same amount of moisture and the same sticky feeling.
← Back to the dew point chart | Dew point vs humidity: why it matters →