Winter nights in Coldwater Township are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 82°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 68°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 20.
A year in Coldwater Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Coldwater Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Coldwater Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Coldwater Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Central Michigan Univ, MI, 18 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Coldwater Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 61 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Rapids Wtp, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 155 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Coldwater Township
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 Central Michigan Univ, MI.
Living with Coldwater Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Coldwater Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Coldwater Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Coldwater Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Coldwater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater Township, MI | 13° | 82° | 34" | 61" |
| Hornell, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 62" |
| Mequon, WI | 14° | 82° | 34" | 54" |
| Antioch, IL | 15° | 83° | 36" | 43" |
| Middlebury, VT | 10° | 82° | 39" | 59" |
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 Coldwater Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Coldwater Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Coldwater Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Coldwater Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Coldwater Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Rapids Wtp, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 13° | 2.2" | 17.8" | 17 | 26 | 10° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.7" | 16.0" | 13 | 23 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 2.1" | 7.7" | 12 | 11 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 3.6" | 1.5" | 14 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.5" | 3.8" | 14 | 4 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 33° | 20° | 2.1" | 14.3" | 15 | 18 | 17° – 36° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 34.1" | 61.3" | 155 | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Coldwater 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 Coldwater Township’s center.
- Snow: Big Rapids Wtp, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Central Michigan Univ, MI, 18 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Coldwater Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Coldwater Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Coldwater Township in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Coldwater Township get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at Big Rapids Wtp, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.
How hot does it get in Coldwater Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 57°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Central Michigan Univ, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Coldwater Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 171 frost-free days, at Central Michigan Univ, MI.
What growing zone is Coldwater Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Coldwater 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 Coldwater Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Coldwater 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.