Photo: Roxray · CC BY-SA 3.0Eagle Harbor’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 74°
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 11°.
A year in Eagle Harbor at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Eagle Harbor’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Eagle Harbor’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Eagle Harbor feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 15. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Copper Harbor, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Copper Harbor Ft Wilkins, MI, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Eagle Harbor’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 31 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and March the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Eagle Harbor
98% 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 Copper Harbor Ft Wilkins, MI.
Living with Eagle Harbor’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 20 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Eagle Harbor from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Eagle Harbor and its neighbors
Eagle Harbor Township has the coldest January nights next door (4°, 6° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Eagle Harbor averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Eagle Harbor compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Eagle Harbor’s place among Michigan’s.
Eagle Harbor weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Eagle Harbor’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 11° | 2.3" | 5° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 10° | 1.6" | 6° – 30° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 1.5" | 16° – 38° |
| April | 46° | 28° | 2.4" | 31° – 45° |
| May | 60° | 39° | 3.0" | 44° – 54° |
| June | 69° | 49° | 2.9" | 56° – 64° |
| July | 74° | 55° | 3.2" | 58° – 69° |
| August | 73° | 55° | 3.0" | 59° – 68° |
| September | 66° | 48° | 3.3" | 51° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 37° | 3.4" | 40° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 27° | 2.3" | 25° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 17° | 2.1" | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 49° | 33° | 30.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Eagle Harbor’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 Eagle Harbor’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Copper Harbor Ft Wilkins, MI, 13 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Copper Harbor, 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 Eagle Harbor’s climate
What is the weather like in Eagle Harbor?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 11°. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 175 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Eagle Harbor in winter?
February nights average 10°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How hot does it get in Eagle Harbor?
July, with a typical high of 74°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Copper Harbor Ft Wilkins, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Eagle Harbor?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 148 frost-free days, at Copper Harbor Ft Wilkins, MI.
What growing zone is Eagle Harbor in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Eagle Harbor?
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 Eagle Harbor getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Eagle Harbor.
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.