Photo: Rochelle Briggeman · CC BY-SA 3.0Elmwood Township gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 171 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Elmwood Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elmwood Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elmwood Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Elmwood Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elmwood Township’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 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 31 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 Elmwood Township
93% 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 Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport.
Living with Elmwood Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 63% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elmwood Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elmwood Township and its neighbors
Solon Township has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 2° colder) and Solon Township the hottest July afternoons (80°, 2° 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 Elmwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmwood Township, MI | 17° | 79° | 31" | 115" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| North Madison, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 114" |
| Black Forest, CO | 16° | 81° | 20" | 121" |
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 Elmwood Township averaged 2.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in all but 73 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 Elmwood Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elmwood Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Elmwood Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elmwood Township’s 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° | 17° | 2.0" | 32.0" | 18 | 28 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 30° | 17° | 1.4" | 22.3" | 13 | 27 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 1.8" | 13.4" | 10 | 19 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 51° | 32° | 2.8" | 6.8" | 12 | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 2.7" | 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 | 70° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 44° | 32° | 2.6" | 10.4" | 14 | 7 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.1" | 29.3" | 16 | 20 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 31.3" | 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 Elmwood 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 Elmwood Township’s center.
- Snow: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, 7 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 Elmwood Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Elmwood Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elmwood Township in winter?
February nights average 17°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Elmwood Township 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 Elmwood Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Elmwood Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 155 frost-free days, at Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport.
What growing zone is Elmwood Township 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 Elmwood 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 Elmwood Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 73 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elmwood 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.