Auburn’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Auburn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Auburn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Auburn’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Auburn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saginaw Mbs International Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Auburn’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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Saginaw Mbs International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Auburn
91% 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 Saginaw Mbs International Airport.
Living with Auburn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Auburn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Auburn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Auburn yet.
Climates most like Auburn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn, MI | 16° | 83° | 32" | 49" |
| Geneseo, NY | 18° | 82° | 34" | 52" |
| Franklin, WI | 14° | 82° | 35" | 49" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
| Chesterton, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 40" |
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 Auburn averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Auburn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Auburn’s place among Michigan’s.
Auburn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Auburn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saginaw Mbs International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | 1.9" | 13.9" | 13 | 21 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 17° | 1.6" | 11.4" | 10 | 19 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 1.9" | 6.0" | 10 | 9 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.3" | 2.4" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 31° | 2.2" | 3.3" | 12 | 3 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 1.9" | 11.8" | 12 | 13 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 32.1" | 49.0" | 133 | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Auburn’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 Auburn’s center.
- Snow: Saginaw Mbs International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saginaw Mbs International Airport, 5 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 Auburn’s climate
What is the weather like in Auburn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Auburn in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Auburn get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Saginaw Mbs International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 65 days a year.
How hot does it get in Auburn?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Saginaw Mbs International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Auburn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 172 frost-free days, at Saginaw Mbs International Airport.
What growing zone is Auburn 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 Auburn?
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 Auburn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Auburn.
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.