Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Baraga gets about 208 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 13 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 76°. The wettest month is September; the driest is February. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 98% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Baraga at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Baraga’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Baraga’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Baraga feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baraga 7nw, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Baraga’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 208 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Herman, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 174 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Baraga
97% 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 Baraga 7nw, MI.
Living with Baraga’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 25 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 23.
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 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Baraga from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Baraga and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Baraga yet.
Climates most like Baraga’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga, MI | 11° | 76° | 30" | 208" |
| Edwards, CO | 11° | 79° | 20" | 189" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Hanover, NY | 17° | 80° | 42" | 208" |
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 Baraga averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Baraga compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Baraga’s place among Michigan’s.
Baraga weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Baraga’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Herman, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 11° | 1.8" | 47.8" | 18 | 31 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 1.3" | 35.0" | 14 | 29 | 4° – 32° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.5" | 27.8" | 13 | 30 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 48° | 29° | 2.4" | 16.4" | 13 | 19 | 31° – 46° |
| May | 61° | 40° | 2.9" | 2.2" | 13 | 2 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 38° | 3.4" | 8.0" | 16 | 4 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 28° | 2.3" | 28.7" | 17 | 18 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 30° | 18° | 1.8" | 41.7" | 18 | 30 | 15° – 32° |
| Year | 51° | 33° | 30.3" | 207.8" | 174 | 162 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Baraga’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 Baraga’s center.
- Snow: Herman, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baraga 7nw, MI, 6 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 Baraga’s climate
What is the weather like in Baraga?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 208 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Baraga in winter?
February nights average 10°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Baraga get?
About 208 inches in a normal winter at Herman, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 162 days a year.
How hot does it get in Baraga?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Baraga 7nw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Baraga?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 119 frost-free days, at Baraga 7nw, MI.
What growing zone is Baraga in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Baraga?
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 Baraga getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Baraga.
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.