Chatham gets about 164 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 39 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 78°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. The outdoor season runs from June to September, with highs of 68–78°.
A year in Chatham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chatham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chatham’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Chatham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chatham’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 164 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI, falls mostly in January. 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 172 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chatham
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 Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI.
Living with Chatham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 30 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chatham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chatham and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chatham yet.
Climates most like Chatham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham, MI | 9° | 78° | 35" | 164" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
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 Chatham averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Chatham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chatham’s place among Michigan’s.
Chatham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chatham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 9° | 2.6" | 45.6" | 20 | 30 | 5° – 26° |
| February | 28° | 9° | 1.6" | 29.7" | 14 | 28 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 1.7" | 18.6" | 12 | 26 | 16° – 39° |
| April | 49° | 28° | 2.8" | 11.8" | 11 | 8 | 31° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 39° | 3.2" | 0.6" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 36° | 3.9" | 2.5" | 17 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 3.0" | 18.9" | 15 | 11 | 25° – 41° |
| December | 30° | 16° | 2.4" | 36.3" | 17 | 25 | 13° – 31° |
| Year | 52° | 32° | 35.2" | 164.0" | 172 | 129 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Chatham’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 Chatham’s center.
- Snow: Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI, 0.4 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 Chatham’s climate
What is the weather like in Chatham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 164 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chatham in winter?
February nights average 9°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Chatham get?
About 164 inches in a normal winter at Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 129 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chatham?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Chatham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 119 frost-free days, at Chatham Exp Farm 2, MI.
What growing zone is Chatham in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chatham?
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 Chatham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chatham.
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.