Detroit sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 59 inches a year
January mornings start at about 32°. A year here swings 59° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 81% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from March to May and October brings highs of 66–82°.
A year in Detroit at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Detroit’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Detroit’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Detroit feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hamilton 3 S, AL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Detroit’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 59 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 88 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Sulligent, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Detroit
65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Hamilton 3 S, AL.
Living with Detroit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
198 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Detroit from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Detroit and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Detroit yet.
Climates most like Detroit’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, AL | 32° | 91° | 59" | 0.6" |
| Wrightsboro, NC | 34° | 90° | 58" | 0.2" |
| Brandon, MS | 36° | 92° | 59" | 1.0" |
| Warren, AR | 34° | 92° | 56" | 1.5" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Detroit averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 99 U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Detroit compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Detroit’s place among Alabama’s.
Detroit weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Detroit’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sulligent, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 5.3" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 58° | 35° | 5.7" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 54° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 58.6" | 0.6" | 88 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Detroit’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Detroit’s center.
- Snow: Sulligent, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hamilton 3 S, AL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Detroit’s climate
What is the weather like in Detroit?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Detroit in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 96 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Detroit get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Sulligent, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Detroit?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 78 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Hamilton 3 S, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Detroit?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 198 frost-free days, at Hamilton 3 S, AL.
What growing zone is Detroit in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Detroit?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Detroit getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 99 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Detroit.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.