Detroit Beach is drier than 78% of U.S. towns: 35 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 84°. May is the wettest month, February the driest. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 64% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Detroit Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Detroit Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Detroit Beach’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Detroit Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newport 4sse, MI, 2.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Detroit Beach’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Newport 4sse, MI, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 135 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Detroit Beach
90% 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 Newport 4sse, MI.
Living with Detroit Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Detroit Beach from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Detroit Beach and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Detroit Beach in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Detroit Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Beach, MI | 20° | 84° | 35" | 41" |
| Chicago, IL | 18° | 84° | 38" | 39" |
| East Chicago, IN | 19° | 83° | 38" | 39" |
| Southport, NY | 16° | 83° | 36" | 42" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Detroit Beach averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Detroit Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Detroit Beach’s place among Michigan’s.
Detroit Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Detroit Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Newport 4sse, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 20° | 2.2" | 12.4" | 13 | 15 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 2.0" | 13.5" | 12 | 17 | 14° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 29° | 2.4" | 5.5" | 11 | 6 | 29° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.6" | 13 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 49° | 34° | 2.7" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 2.2" | 8.2" | 12 | 9 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 42° | 34.5" | 41.2" | 135 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Detroit Beach’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 Detroit Beach’s center.
- Snow: Newport 4sse, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newport 4sse, MI, 2.8 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 Detroit Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Detroit Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Detroit Beach in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Detroit Beach get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Newport 4sse, MI, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in Detroit Beach?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Newport 4sse, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Detroit Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Newport 4sse, MI.
What growing zone is Detroit Beach in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Detroit Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Detroit Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Detroit Beach.
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.