Colfax Township has cooler summers than 86% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 15° on average. Only 66° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 83% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Colfax Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Colfax Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Colfax Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Colfax Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Colfax Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Colfax Township
94% 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 Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI.
Living with Colfax Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 17 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. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Colfax Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Colfax Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Colfax Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Colfax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax Township, MI | 15° | 81° | 36" | 75" |
| Lockport, NY | 18° | 81° | 36" | 72" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Broadview Heights, OH | 20° | 82° | 40" | 65" |
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 Colfax Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 59% 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 Colfax Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Colfax Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Colfax Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Colfax Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 15° | 2.3" | 25.3" | 13 | 28 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.8" | 14.0" | 10 | 27 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.1" | 7.0" | 8 | 20 | 22° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 3.5" | 1.3" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 78° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 30° | 3.1" | 4.3" | 10 | 5 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 34° | 21° | 2.4" | 22.5" | 13 | 22 | 19° – 37° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 35.7" | 74.6" | 117 | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 47°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Colfax 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 Colfax Township’s center.
- Snow: Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI, 13 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 Colfax Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Colfax Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Colfax Township in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Colfax Township get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 103 days a year.
How hot does it get in Colfax Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Colfax Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 137 frost-free days, at Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI.
What growing zone is Colfax Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Colfax 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 Colfax Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Colfax 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.