Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 3.0Benzonia gets about 92 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. Only 64° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 93% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 2; autumn frost returns near October 26.
A year in Benzonia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Benzonia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Benzonia’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Benzonia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Frankfort 2ne, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Benzonia’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 92 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Beulah 7ssw, 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 Benzonia
95% 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 Frankfort 2ne, MI.
Living with Benzonia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 2 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Benzonia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Benzonia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Benzonia yet.
Climates most like Benzonia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzonia, MI | 15° | 80° | 34" | 92" |
| Sweden, NY | 17° | 80° | 35" | 102" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
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 Benzonia averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in all but 129 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 Benzonia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Benzonia’s place among Michigan’s.
Benzonia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Benzonia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beulah 7ssw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 15° | 2.3" | 26.8" | 19 | 27 | 12° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 15° | 1.5" | 20.2" | 14 | 27 | 11° – 32° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 2.0" | 11.2" | 11 | 18 | 22° – 46° |
| April | 53° | 32° | 3.1" | 3.5" | 12 | 3 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 58° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 2.9" | 7.7" | 15 | 5 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 33° | 22° | 2.3" | 22.9" | 17 | 20 | 20° – 36° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 34.4" | 92.4" | 161 | 100 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Benzonia’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 Benzonia’s center.
- Snow: Beulah 7ssw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Frankfort 2ne, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher; 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 Benzonia’s climate
What is the weather like in Benzonia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 92 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Benzonia in winter?
February nights average 15°. About 138 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Benzonia get?
About 92 inches in a normal winter at Beulah 7ssw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 100 days a year.
How hot does it get in Benzonia?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Frankfort 2ne, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Benzonia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 175 frost-free days, at Frankfort 2ne, MI.
What growing zone is Benzonia in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Benzonia?
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 Benzonia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 129 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Benzonia.
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.