January in Brownlee Park bites harder than in 76% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 66°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 73% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 6; in half of years the first frost comes by October 12.
A year in Brownlee Park at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brownlee Park’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brownlee Park’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Brownlee Park feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Battle Creek 5nw, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brownlee Park’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Battle Creek 5nw, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brownlee Park
91% 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 Battle Creek 5nw, MI.
Living with Brownlee Park’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brownlee Park from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brownlee Park and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Brownlee Park in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Brownlee Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownlee Park, MI | 17° | 83° | 36" | 65" |
| Ithaca, NY | 17° | 83° | 36" | 63" |
| Montrose-Ghent, OH | 20° | 83° | 39" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Franklin, WI | 14° | 82° | 35" | 49" |
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 Brownlee Park averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Brownlee Park compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brownlee Park’s place among Michigan’s.
Brownlee Park weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brownlee Park’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Battle Creek 5nw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.2" | 18.1" | 14 | 21 | 15° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 1.8" | 15.6" | 11 | 18 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.0" | 6.0" | 10 | 7 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.3" | 2.1" | 12 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.6" | 5.9" | 11 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.1" | 16.4" | 14 | 13 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 36.3" | 64.6" | 138 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 50°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Brownlee Park’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 Brownlee Park’s center.
- Snow: Battle Creek 5nw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Battle Creek 5nw, MI, 7 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 Brownlee Park’s climate
What is the weather like in Brownlee Park?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brownlee Park in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 142 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Brownlee Park get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Battle Creek 5nw, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Brownlee Park?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Battle Creek 5nw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Brownlee Park?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 158 frost-free days, at Battle Creek 5nw, MI.
What growing zone is Brownlee Park in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brownlee Park?
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 Brownlee Park getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brownlee Park.
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.