John W. Hunter House · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Birmingham trails that of 81% of U.S. towns: 33 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 17°. Seasons differ by 66°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 73% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 26 to October 22.
A year in Birmingham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Birmingham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Birmingham’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Birmingham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pontiac Wwtp, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Birmingham’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pontiac Wwtp, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Birmingham
90% 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 Pontiac Wwtp, MI.
Living with Birmingham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Birmingham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Birmingham and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Birmingham in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Birmingham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, MI | 17° | 83° | 33" | 36" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| Pleasant Prairie, WI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 36" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Northbrook, IL | 17° | 83° | 38" | 34" |
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 Birmingham averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Birmingham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Birmingham’s place among Michigan’s.
Birmingham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Birmingham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pontiac Wwtp, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.1" | 12.1" | 13 | 22 | 15° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 19° | 1.8" | 9.0" | 10 | 18 | 13° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.1" | 10 | 7 | 27° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 3.0" | 0.9" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 24° | 2.1" | 8.1" | 12 | 13 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 40° | 33.3" | 36.0" | 130 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Birmingham’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 Birmingham’s center.
- Snow: Pontiac Wwtp, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pontiac Wwtp, MI, 7 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 Birmingham’s climate
What is the weather like in Birmingham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Birmingham in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Birmingham get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Pontiac Wwtp, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Birmingham?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Pontiac Wwtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Birmingham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Pontiac Wwtp, MI.
What growing zone is Birmingham in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Birmingham?
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 Birmingham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Birmingham.
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.