Photo: brewbooks · CC BY-SA 2.0Big Rapids’ winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Rapids at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Rapids’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Rapids’ place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Big Rapids 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, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Rapids’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 61 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Rapids Wtp, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 155 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Rapids
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 Rapids’ 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. 4.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Rapids from natural hazards, strong wind is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Rapids and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Rapids yet.
Climates most like Big Rapids’, 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 Rapids, MI | 14° | 82° | 36" | 61" |
| Hornell, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 62" |
| Mukwonago, WI | 13° | 82° | 36" | 51" |
| Middlebury, VT | 10° | 82° | 39" | 59" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 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 Big Rapids averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Rapids compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Rapids’ place among Michigan’s.
Big Rapids weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Rapids’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Rapids Wtp, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 14° | 2.4" | 17.8" | 17 | 26 | 11° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.9" | 16.0" | 13 | 23 | 9° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 2.4" | 7.7" | 12 | 11 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.8" | 1.5" | 14 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 3.8" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 2.9" | 3.8" | 14 | 4 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 2.3" | 14.3" | 15 | 18 | 18° – 37° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 36.0" | 61.3" | 155 | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Big Rapids’ 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 Rapids’ center.
- Snow: Big Rapids Wtp, MI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Rapids Wtp, MI, 0.5 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 Big Rapids’ climate
What is the weather like in Big Rapids?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Rapids in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Big Rapids get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at Big Rapids Wtp, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 56°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Big Rapids Wtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Big Rapids?
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 Rapids in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Rapids?
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 Rapids getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Rapids.
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.