Clearwater Township gets about 132 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 95 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 132 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Clearwater Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clearwater Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clearwater Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Clearwater Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kalkaska, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clearwater Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 132 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kalkaska, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clearwater Township
96% 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 Kalkaska, MI.
Living with Clearwater Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 27 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clearwater Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clearwater Township and its neighbors
Rapid River Township has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Clearwater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Township, MI | 14° | 81° | 33" | 132" |
| Palmyra, NY | 17° | 81° | 35" | 105" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Truckee, CA | 19° | 82° | 35" | 183" |
| Beachwood, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 114" |
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 Clearwater Township averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Clearwater Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clearwater Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Clearwater Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clearwater Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kalkaska, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 14° | 2.2" | 38.3" | 17 | 30 | 11° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.5" | 24.8" | 12 | 28 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 21° | 1.8" | 13.7" | 10 | 23 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 2.9" | 6.8" | 11 | 4 | 34° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.2" | 1.0" | 15 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 2.8" | 17.1" | 15 | 10 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 34° | 22° | 2.3" | 29.7" | 16 | 24 | 19° – 37° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 33.3" | 132.1" | 148 | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Clearwater 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 Clearwater Township’s center.
- Snow: Kalkaska, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kalkaska, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft higher; 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 Clearwater Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Clearwater Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 132 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clearwater Township in winter?
February nights average 14°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Clearwater Township get?
About 132 inches in a normal winter at Kalkaska, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 120 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clearwater Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Kalkaska, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Clearwater Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 128 frost-free days, at Kalkaska, MI.
What growing zone is Clearwater Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clearwater Township?
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 Clearwater Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clearwater 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.