Elk Rapids gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 171 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Elk Rapids at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Rapids’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk Rapids’ place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Elk Rapids feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Old Mission 3ssw, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk Rapids’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 115 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Rapids
94% 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 Old Mission 3ssw, MI.
Living with Elk Rapids’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elk Rapids from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk Rapids and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elk Rapids yet.
Climates most like Elk Rapids’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Rapids, MI | 18° | 79° | 32" | 115" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| North Madison, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 114" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Elk Rapids averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 95% 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 Elk Rapids compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk Rapids’ place among Michigan’s.
Elk Rapids weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk Rapids’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 18° | 2.1" | 32.0" | 18 | 28 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 30° | 17° | 1.4" | 22.3" | 13 | 27 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 1.8" | 13.4" | 10 | 19 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 51° | 32° | 2.9" | 6.8" | 12 | 4 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 57° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 33° | 2.7" | 10.4" | 14 | 7 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.2" | 29.3" | 16 | 20 | 21° – 39° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 32.3" | 114.5" | 149 | 105 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elk Rapids’ 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 Elk Rapids’ center.
- Snow: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Old Mission 3ssw, MI, 6 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 Elk Rapids’ climate
What is the weather like in Elk Rapids?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk Rapids in winter?
February nights average 17°. About 157 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 9°.
How much snow does Elk Rapids get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elk Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Old Mission 3ssw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Elk Rapids?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 158 frost-free days, at Old Mission 3ssw, MI.
What growing zone is Elk Rapids in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elk Rapids?
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 Elk Rapids getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk Rapids.
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.