Johannesburg Manufacturing Company Store · Photo: Calm Vistas · CC BY 2.0Charlton Township gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Charlton Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Charlton Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Charlton Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Charlton Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 95 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 7 and the first by September 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vanderbilt 11ene, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Charlton Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 84 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Vanderbilt 11ene, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 145 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Charlton Township
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 Vanderbilt 11ene, MI.
Living with Charlton Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
95 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Jun 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 120 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Charlton Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Charlton Township and its neighbors
Lovells Township the hottest July afternoons (80°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Charlton Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Township, MI | 10° | 79° | 31" | 84" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
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 Charlton Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
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 Charlton Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Charlton Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Charlton Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Charlton Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Vanderbilt 11ene, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 10° | 1.7" | 25.9" | 17 | 30 | 5° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 10° | 1.4" | 15.3" | 12 | 29 | 3° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.4" | 11 | 28 | 18° – 41° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 2.8" | 5.7" | 11 | 10 | 31° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.8" | 15 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 27° | 2.4" | 7.1" | 13 | 8 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 30° | 18° | 2.0" | 17.5" | 15 | 22 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 31.0" | 83.9" | 145 | 128 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Charlton Township’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 Charlton Township’s center.
- Snow: Vanderbilt 11ene, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vanderbilt 11ene, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower; 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 Charlton Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Charlton Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Charlton Township in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 200 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Charlton Township get?
About 84 inches in a normal winter at Vanderbilt 11ene, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 128 days a year.
How hot does it get in Charlton Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 54°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Vanderbilt 11ene, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Charlton Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 7 and the first fall frost by September 14, about 95 frost-free days, at Vanderbilt 11ene, MI.
What growing zone is Charlton Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Charlton Township?
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 Charlton Township 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 Charlton Township.
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.