Alpha sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in December. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Alpha at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpha’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpha’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Alpha feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 95 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 4 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stambaugh 2sse, MI, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpha’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Florence, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 14 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alpha
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Stambaugh 2sse, MI.
Living with Alpha’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
95 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 78% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpha from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpha and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alpha yet.
Climates most like Alpha’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha, MI | 3° | 78° | 31" | 66" |
| Cloquet, MN | 0° | 78° | 31" | 71" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Littleton, NH | 6° | 80° | 40" | 68" |
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 Alpha averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 76% of 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 Alpha compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpha’s place among Michigan’s.
Alpha weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpha’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Florence, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 1.3" | 14.3" | 8 | 30 | 0° – 22° |
| February | 26° | 4° | 1.1" | 13.9" | 6 | 28 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 38° | 13° | 1.5" | 9.4" | 7 | 26 | 15° – 40° |
| April | 51° | 26° | 2.7" | 8.6" | 10 | 9 | 30° – 45° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 54° | 33° | 3.4" | 1.3" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 22° | 1.9" | 5.6" | 8 | 7 | 21° – 40° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 1.6" | 12.2" | 8 | 22 | 8° – 29° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 30.9" | 65.6" | 111 | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Alpha’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 Alpha’s center.
- Snow: Florence, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stambaugh 2sse, MI, 12 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 Alpha’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpha?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 104 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpha in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 211 nights a year reach 32° or below and 49 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Alpha get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at Florence, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 14 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 124 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alpha?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Stambaugh 2sse, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Alpha?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 4 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 95 frost-free days, at Stambaugh 2sse, MI.
What growing zone is Alpha in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpha?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alpha getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpha.
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.