Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Afternoon heat in Escanaba Township trails that of 95% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 9° on average. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 95% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Escanaba Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Escanaba Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Escanaba Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Escanaba Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cornell 5se, MI, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Escanaba Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cornell 5se, MI, falls mostly in January. 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 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Escanaba Township
96% 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 Cornell 5se, MI.
Living with Escanaba Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 52 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Escanaba Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Escanaba Township and its neighbors
Cornell Township has the coldest January nights next door (8°, 2° colder) and Harris Township the hottest July afternoons (81°, 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 Escanaba 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escanaba Township, MI | 9° | 79° | 31" | 43" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Plymouth, WI | 11° | 81° | 32" | 45" |
| Lakeville, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
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 Escanaba Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Escanaba Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Escanaba Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Escanaba Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Escanaba Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cornell 5se, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 9° | 1.6" | 10.3" | 8 | 6° – 27° |
| February | 29° | 10° | 1.1" | 8.4" | 6 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 1.7" | 7.9" | 6 | 19° – 40° |
| April | 50° | 29° | 2.6" | 3.1" | 8 | 32° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 61° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.4" | 13 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.7" | 8 | 26° – 42° |
| December | 31° | 16° | 1.8" | 8.7" | 8 | 14° – 32° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 30.7" | 42.6" | 114 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Escanaba 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 Escanaba Township’s center.
- Snow: Cornell 5se, MI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cornell 5se, MI, 1.8 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 Escanaba Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Escanaba Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Escanaba Township in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Escanaba Township get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Cornell 5se, MI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Escanaba Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Cornell 5se, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Escanaba Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 133 frost-free days, at Cornell 5se, MI.
What growing zone is Escanaba Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Escanaba 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 Escanaba Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Escanaba 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.