Vista Theater · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0Ely Township gets about 118 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 147 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 77°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. From June to September, highs of 67–77° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Ely Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ely Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ely Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Ely Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 96 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clarksburg, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ely Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 118 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clarksburg, MI, is heaviest from January through February, about 25 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ely Township
99% 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 Clarksburg, MI.
Living with Ely Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
96 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 107 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 46% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ely Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ely Township and its neighbors
Felch Township the hottest July afternoons (79°, 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 Ely 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely Township, MI | 4° | 77° | 33" | 118" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Malone, NY | 7° | 79° | 41" | 98" |
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 Ely Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Ely Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ely Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Ely Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ely Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clarksburg, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 4° | 1.6" | 25.1" | 17 | 31 | 1° – 23° |
| February | 25° | 4° | 1.3" | 23.9" | 13 | 29 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 13° | 1.7" | 14.5" | 10 | 29 | 14° – 39° |
| April | 48° | 25° | 2.8" | 14.7" | 12 | 14 | 29° – 44° |
| May | 63° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.8" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 73° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| October | 53° | 33° | 3.6" | 2.7" | 16 | 2 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 2.3" | 15.0" | 16 | 15 | 20° – 39° |
| December | 26° | 11° | 1.9" | 21.1" | 17 | 28 | 9° – 27° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 32.5" | 117.8" | 166 | 147 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ely 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 Ely Township’s center.
- Snow: Clarksburg, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clarksburg, 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 Ely Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ely Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 151 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ely Township in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 219 nights a year reach 32° or below and 50 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Ely Township get?
About 118 inches in a normal winter at Clarksburg, MI, heaviest from January through February, about 25 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 147 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ely Township?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 52°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Clarksburg, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Ely Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 96 frost-free days, at Clarksburg, MI.
What growing zone is Ely Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ely 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 Ely Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ely 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.