Photo: User:My name · CC BY 3.0Charlevoix gets about 100 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 76°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 1 to October 28.
A year in Charlevoix at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Charlevoix’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Charlevoix’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Charlevoix feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Charlevoix, MI, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Charlevoix’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 100 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Charlevoix, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 160 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Charlevoix
95% 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 Charlevoix, MI.
Living with Charlevoix’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Charlevoix from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Charlevoix and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Charlevoix yet.
Climates most like Charlevoix’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlevoix, MI | 17° | 76° | 34" | 100" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
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 Charlevoix averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Charlevoix compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Charlevoix’s place among Michigan’s.
Charlevoix weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Charlevoix’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Charlevoix, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 17° | 2.2" | 29.9" | 19 | 29 | 11° – 31° |
| February | 29° | 16° | 1.5" | 19.3" | 14 | 28 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 38° | 22° | 1.9" | 12.0" | 10 | 23 | 20° – 43° |
| April | 49° | 32° | 2.9" | 5.0" | 11 | 4 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 62° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 72° | 53° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 76° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 69° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 56° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 17 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 33° | 2.9" | 6.4" | 16 | 5 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.4" | 27.3" | 18 | 21 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 53° | 38° | 33.5" | 100.2" | 160 | 109 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Charlevoix’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 Charlevoix’s center.
- Snow: Charlevoix, MI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Charlevoix, MI, 0.6 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 Charlevoix’s climate
What is the weather like in Charlevoix?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 100 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Charlevoix in winter?
February nights average 16°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Charlevoix get?
About 100 inches in a normal winter at Charlevoix, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 109 days a year.
How hot does it get in Charlevoix?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 59°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Charlevoix, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Charlevoix?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 178 frost-free days, at Charlevoix, MI.
What growing zone is Charlevoix in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Charlevoix?
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 Charlevoix getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Charlevoix.
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.