Alpine Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Alpine Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpine Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpine Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Alpine Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kent City 2 Sw, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpine Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at E Grand Rapids, MI, is heaviest from January through February, about 22 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 152 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alpine Township
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Kent City 2 Sw, MI.
Living with Alpine Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 4.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpine Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpine Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Alpine Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Alpine Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Township, MI | 17° | 83° | 37" | 75" |
| North Tonawanda, NY | 18° | 81° | 37" | 72" |
| Medina, OH | 20° | 83° | 39" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 75" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alpine Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Alpine Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpine Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Alpine Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpine Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from E Grand Rapids, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.5" | 21.7" | 18 | 23 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 2.0" | 22.3" | 14 | 21 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.4" | 5.3" | 10 | 9 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 2.6" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 3.1" | 6.0" | 12 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.5" | 17.0" | 16 | 15 | 20° – 38° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 37.4" | 74.9" | 152 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 49°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Alpine Township’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 Alpine Township’s center.
- Snow: E Grand Rapids, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kent City 2 Sw, MI, 8 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 Alpine Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpine Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpine Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Alpine Township get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at E Grand Rapids, MI, heaviest from January through February, about 22 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alpine Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 59°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Kent City 2 Sw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Alpine Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 135 frost-free days, at Kent City 2 Sw, MI.
What growing zone is Alpine Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpine Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alpine Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpine Township.
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.