Hiawatha Sportsman's Club 1931 Maintenance Building and Commissary · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Garfield Township gets about 99 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 76°. October is the wettest month, February the driest. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 98% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 67–76°.
A year in Garfield Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Garfield Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Garfield Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Garfield Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Engadine Mdot, MI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Garfield 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°
About 99 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Trout Lake 1sw, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Garfield Township
98% 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 Engadine Mdot, MI.
Living with Garfield Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 26 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 201 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Garfield Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Garfield Township and its neighbors
Pentland Township has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 2° colder) and Portage Township the hottest July afternoons (78°, 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 Garfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Township, MI | 10° | 76° | 33" | 99" |
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Alfred, NY | 13° | 78° | 40" | 82" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
| St. Johnsbury, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 87" |
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 Garfield Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Garfield Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Garfield Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Garfield Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Garfield Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Trout Lake 1sw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 10° | 2.1" | 29.9" | 15 | 30 | 5° – 27° |
| February | 26° | 9° | 1.6" | 17.7" | 10 | 28 | 3° – 30° |
| March | 36° | 17° | 1.9" | 12.3" | 8 | 24 | 15° – 39° |
| April | 48° | 29° | 2.5" | 3.9" | 10 | 6 | 30° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 54° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 37° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 15 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 27° | 2.8" | 8.8" | 13 | 5 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 30° | 18° | 2.4" | 25.3" | 14 | 23 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 51° | 33° | 33.3" | 98.5" | 141 | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Garfield 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 Garfield Township’s center.
- Snow: Trout Lake 1sw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Engadine Mdot, MI, 5 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 Garfield Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Garfield Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 99 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Garfield Township in winter?
February nights average 9°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Garfield Township get?
About 99 inches in a normal winter at Trout Lake 1sw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 116 days a year.
How hot does it get in Garfield Township?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Engadine Mdot, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Garfield Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 127 frost-free days, at Engadine Mdot, MI.
What growing zone is Garfield 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 Garfield 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 Garfield Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Garfield 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.