Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domainBig Bay gets about 132 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 94 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 132 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Bay’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Big Bay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Bay 1nw, MI, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Bay’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 132 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Bay 1nw, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Bay
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 Big Bay 1nw, MI.
Living with Big Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Bay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Bay and its neighbors
Powell Township has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 4° colder) and Powell Township the hottest July afternoons (77°, 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 Big Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bay, MI | 13° | 75° | 31" | 132" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Warsaw, NY | 15° | 79° | 38" | 109" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 Big Bay averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Big Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Bay’s place among Michigan’s.
Big Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Bay 1nw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 13° | 2.0" | 32.2" | 19 | 31 | 8° – 29° |
| February | 27° | 12° | 1.6" | 28.7" | 14 | 29 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 36° | 19° | 1.7" | 11.6" | 10 | 28 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 47° | 29° | 2.6" | 12.8" | 10 | 14 | 31° – 46° |
| May | 60° | 40° | 2.9" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 44° – 56° |
| June | 69° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 75° | 56° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 56° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 67° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 39° | 3.4" | 1.3" | 15 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 29° | 2.5" | 18.1" | 15 | 15 | 26° – 43° |
| December | 30° | 19° | 2.1" | 26.5" | 17 | 28 | 16° – 33° |
| Year | 50° | 34° | 31.0" | 132.3" | 151 | 145 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Big Bay’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 Big Bay’s center.
- Snow: Big Bay 1nw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Bay 1nw, MI, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Big Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 132 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Bay in winter?
February nights average 12°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Big Bay get?
About 132 inches in a normal winter at Big Bay 1nw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 145 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Bay?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 56°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Big Bay 1nw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Big Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 137 frost-free days, at Big Bay 1nw, MI.
What growing zone is Big Bay in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Bay?
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 Big Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Bay.
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.