Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Elm River Township gets about 178 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 34 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 77° on average. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 71° apart. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to September, with highs of 68–77°.
A year in Elm River Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elm River Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elm River Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Elm River Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 23. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greenland 6n, MI, 12 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Baraga 7nw, MI, 12 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elm River Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 178 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elm River Township
97% 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 Baraga 7nw, MI.
Living with Elm River Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 228 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elm River Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elm River Township and its neighbors
Laird Township the hottest July afternoons (78°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elm River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm River Township, MI | 6° | 77° | 31" | 178" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
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 Elm River Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Elm River Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elm River Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Elm River Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elm River Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ontonagon 6 Se, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 2.0" | 53.1" | 18 | 2° – 24° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 1.3" | 27.0" | 12 | 2° – 29° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.5" | 17.6" | 9 | 15° – 40° |
| April | 49° | 27° | 2.4" | 6.9" | 9 | 30° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.0" | 1.0" | 10 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 53° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 11 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 35° | 3.5" | 2.5" | 14 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 23° | 2.3" | 21.4" | 13 | 22° – 40° |
| December | 27° | 13° | 1.9" | 48.1" | 16 | 10° – 28° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 31.4" | 177.7" | 142 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Elm River 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 Elm River Township’s center.
- Snow: Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Baraga 7nw, MI, 12 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Greenland 6n, MI, 12 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Elm River Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Elm River Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 178 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elm River Township in winter?
February nights average 6°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Elm River Township get?
About 178 inches in a normal winter at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Elm River Township?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Baraga 7nw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Elm River Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 119 frost-free days, at Baraga 7nw, MI.
What growing zone is Elm River Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elm River Township?
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 Elm River Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elm River 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.