Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0Gladstone has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 11°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 92% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Gladstone at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gladstone’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gladstone’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Gladstone feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rapid Rvr 4sse, MI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gladstone’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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Escanaba, 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 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gladstone
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 Rapid Rvr 4sse, MI.
Living with Gladstone’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gladstone from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gladstone and its neighbors
Escanaba Township has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 2° colder) and Escanaba Township the hottest July afternoons (79°, 3° 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 Gladstone’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladstone, MI | 11° | 76° | 31" | 47" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Milton, VT | 10° | 80° | 40" | 50" |
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 Gladstone averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
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 Gladstone compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gladstone’s place among Michigan’s.
Gladstone weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gladstone’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Escanaba, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 11° | 1.7" | 13.7" | 9 | 7° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 12° | 1.1" | 10.2" | 7 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 37° | 20° | 1.7" | 6.1" | 7 | 19° – 40° |
| April | 48° | 30° | 2.6" | 4.4" | 10 | 32° – 45° |
| May | 60° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 44° – 56° |
| June | 71° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 57° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 57° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 29° | 2.3" | 2.3" | 9 | 27° – 43° |
| December | 31° | 18° | 1.8" | 10.2" | 9 | 15° – 34° |
| Year | 51° | 34° | 30.5" | 46.9" | 120 |
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 Gladstone’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 Gladstone’s center.
- Snow: Escanaba, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rapid Rvr 4sse, MI, 4 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 Gladstone’s climate
What is the weather like in Gladstone?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gladstone in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Gladstone get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Escanaba, MI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Gladstone?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Rapid Rvr 4sse, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Gladstone?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 137 frost-free days, at Rapid Rvr 4sse, MI.
What growing zone is Gladstone 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 Gladstone?
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 Gladstone 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 Gladstone.
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.