Brown City’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Brown City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brown City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brown City’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Brown City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Yale 1 Nnw, MI, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brown City’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Yale 1 Nnw, 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 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brown City
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 Yale 1 Nnw, MI.
Living with Brown City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brown City from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brown City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Brown City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Brown City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown City, MI | 16° | 81° | 33" | 41" |
| Caledonia, WI | 15° | 82° | 35" | 41" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| Zion, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 36" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
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 Brown City averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Brown City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brown City’s place among Michigan’s.
Brown City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brown City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Yale 1 Nnw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | 2.1" | 13.0" | 11 | 20 | 12° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 17° | 1.8" | 9.5" | 9 | 18 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 42° | 25° | 2.0" | 6.3" | 9 | 10 | 24° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 35° | 3.1" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 31° | 2.5" | 2.0" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 2.0" | 7.6" | 11 | 12 | 17° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 32.6" | 40.7" | 120 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Brown City’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 Brown City’s center.
- Snow: Yale 1 Nnw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yale 1 Nnw, MI, 11 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 Brown City’s climate
What is the weather like in Brown City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brown City in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Brown City get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Yale 1 Nnw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Brown City?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Yale 1 Nnw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Brown City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 147 frost-free days, at Yale 1 Nnw, MI.
What growing zone is Brown City in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brown City?
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 Brown City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brown City.
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.