Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Bessemer Township gets about 155 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 51 U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 77°. July is the wettest month here, with about 3.0 times the rain of February. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 20; in half of years the first frost comes by October 1.
A year in Bessemer Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bessemer Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bessemer Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Bessemer Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ironwood, MI, 14 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bessemer Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 155 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hurley, WI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bessemer Township
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 Ironwood, MI.
Living with Bessemer Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 20 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 68 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bessemer Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bessemer Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bessemer Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bessemer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer Township, MI | 3° | 77° | 36" | 155" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
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 Bessemer Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Bessemer Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bessemer Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Bessemer Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bessemer Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hurley, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 3° | 1.8" | 38.8" | 14 | 31 | 0° – 23° |
| February | 25° | 4° | 1.4" | 26.2" | 10 | 29 | 3° – 30° |
| March | 37° | 13° | 1.9" | 18.2" | 9 | 26 | 14° – 41° |
| April | 49° | 26° | 3.0" | 9.4" | 10 | 10 | 28° – 45° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.7" | 1.4" | 11 | 1 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 33° | 3.8" | 4.6" | 13 | 2 | 36° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 2.5" | 21.5" | 12 | 16 | 19° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 10° | 2.1" | 34.7" | 13 | 29 | 7° – 27° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 35.6" | 155.0" | 136 | 143 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bessemer 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 Bessemer Township’s center.
- Snow: Hurley, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ironwood, MI, 14 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 Bessemer Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Bessemer Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 155 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 104 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bessemer Township in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Bessemer Township get?
About 155 inches in a normal winter at Hurley, WI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 143 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bessemer Township?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Ironwood, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Bessemer Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 132 frost-free days, at Ironwood, MI.
What growing zone is Bessemer Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bessemer Township?
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 Bessemer Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bessemer 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.