Photo: Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0Brimley gets about 120 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 141 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 75°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. From June to September, highs of 67–75° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Brimley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brimley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brimley’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Brimley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rudyard 4n, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brimley’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 120 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Fld, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 165 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brimley
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 Rudyard 4n, MI.
Living with Brimley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 24 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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brimley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brimley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Brimley yet.
Climates most like Brimley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brimley, MI | 8° | 75° | 35" | 120" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Attica, NY | 14° | 77° | 42" | 109" |
| Morristown, VT | 7° | 78° | 43" | 139" |
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 Brimley averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Brimley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brimley’s place among Michigan’s.
Brimley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brimley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Fld, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 8° | 2.3" | 30.3" | 19 | 31 | 2° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 8° | 1.7" | 20.7" | 14 | 29 | 1° – 29° |
| March | 34° | 16° | 1.9" | 13.0" | 12 | 29 | 13° – 37° |
| April | 47° | 28° | 2.6" | 7.6" | 12 | 12 | 30° – 45° |
| May | 61° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 75° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| August | 74° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 38° | 4.3" | 1.7" | 17 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 28° | 3.3" | 16.0" | 17 | 11 | 27° – 41° |
| December | 30° | 17° | 2.8" | 30.4" | 19 | 26 | 12° – 33° |
| Year | 50° | 32° | 35.0" | 120.1" | 165 | 137 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Brimley’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 Brimley’s center.
- Snow: Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Fld, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rudyard 4n, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Brimley’s climate
What is the weather like in Brimley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 120 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brimley in winter?
February nights average 8°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Brimley get?
About 120 inches in a normal winter at Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Fld, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 137 days a year.
How hot does it get in Brimley?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Rudyard 4n, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Brimley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 127 frost-free days, at Rudyard 4n, MI.
What growing zone is Brimley in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brimley?
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 Brimley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brimley.
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.