Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Bay View gets about 124 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 130 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 76°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 62° apart. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 98% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 62–76° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Bay View at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bay View’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bay View’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Bay View feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Petoskey, MI, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bay View’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 124 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Petoskey, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bay View
96% 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 Petoskey, MI.
Living with Bay View’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bay View from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bay View and its neighbors
Bear Creek Township has the coldest January nights next door (14°, 1° colder) and Bear Creek Township the hottest July afternoons (78°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bay View’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay View, MI | 15° | 76° | 34" | 124" |
| Warsaw, NY | 15° | 79° | 38" | 109" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
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 Bay View averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Bay View compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bay View’s place among Michigan’s.
Bay View weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bay View’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Petoskey, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 15° | 2.1" | 39.3" | 18 | 9° – 30° |
| February | 29° | 14° | 1.4" | 27.2" | 14 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 37° | 21° | 1.8" | 12.2" | 11 | 19° – 42° |
| April | 49° | 31° | 2.8" | 4.5" | 12 | 32° – 47° |
| May | 62° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 76° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 51° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 56° | 41° | 4.3" | 0.3" | 17 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 43° | 32° | 3.0" | 9.4" | 17 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 33° | 23° | 2.5" | 30.6" | 17 | 19° – 37° |
| Year | 52° | 36° | 33.8" | 123.6" | 161 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bay View’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 Bay View’s center.
- Snow: Petoskey, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Petoskey, MI, 2.5 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 Bay View’s climate
What is the weather like in Bay View?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 124 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bay View in winter?
February nights average 14°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Bay View get?
About 124 inches in a normal winter at Petoskey, MI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Bay View?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Petoskey, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Bay View?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 166 frost-free days, at Petoskey, MI.
What growing zone is Bay View in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bay View?
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 Bay View getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bay View.
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.