Hardy Hydroelectric Plant · Photo: Larry Pieniazek, Lar (commons) or User:Lar (wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.0January in Big Prairie Township bites harder than in 85% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Only 68° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Big Prairie Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Prairie Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Prairie Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Big Prairie Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Rapids Wtp, MI, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Prairie Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at White Cloud 9e, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Prairie Township
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
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 Rapids Wtp, MI.
Living with Big Prairie Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Prairie Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Prairie Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Big Prairie Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Big Prairie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Prairie Township, MI | 15° | 82° | 37" | 64" |
| Hornell, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 62" |
| McFarland, WI | 11° | 83° | 38" | 52" |
| Plymouth, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 55" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
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 Prairie Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Prairie Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Prairie Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Big Prairie Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Prairie Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from White Cloud 9e, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 15° | 2.4" | 17.6" | 13 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 1.9" | 12.7" | 9 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 2.4" | 6.9" | 8 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 3.8" | 2.8" | 11 | 37° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 9 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.0" | 6.4" | 10 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 2.4" | 16.8" | 13 | 19° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 36.5" | 63.8" | 117 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 47°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Big Prairie 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 Big Prairie Township’s center.
- Snow: White Cloud 9e, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Rapids Wtp, MI, 15 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 Big Prairie Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Prairie Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Prairie Township in winter?
February nights average 14°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Big Prairie Township get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at White Cloud 9e, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Big Prairie Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 57°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Big Rapids Wtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Big Prairie Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 142 frost-free days, at Big Rapids Wtp, MI.
What growing zone is Big Prairie Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Prairie Township?
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 Big Prairie Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Prairie 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.