Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0Gwinn gets about 197 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 14 U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 79°. Seasons differ by 72°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 13; autumn frost returns near October 2.
A year in Gwinn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gwinn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gwinn’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Gwinn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ki Sawyer Wwtp, MI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gwinn’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 197 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marquette, MI, falls mostly in January and December. 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 167 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gwinn
97% 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 Ki Sawyer Wwtp, MI.
Living with Gwinn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gwinn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 41%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gwinn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gwinn yet.
Climates most like Gwinn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinn, MI | 7° | 79° | 33" | 197" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Edwards, CO | 11° | 79° | 20" | 189" |
| Hanover, NY | 17° | 80° | 42" | 208" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Gwinn averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Gwinn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gwinn’s place among Michigan’s.
Gwinn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gwinn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marquette, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 1.7" | 42.1" | 18 | 31 | 4° – 25° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 1.4" | 36.8" | 14 | 28 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 16° | 1.8" | 29.4" | 14 | 30 | 16° – 40° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 2.7" | 17.6" | 12 | 16 | 31° – 46° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 3.2" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 3.6" | 5.3" | 16 | 3 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 25° | 2.5" | 24.2" | 15 | 16 | 23° – 40° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 2.0" | 39.9" | 17 | 29 | 12° – 30° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 32.6" | 196.8" | 167 | 153 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gwinn’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 Gwinn’s center.
- Snow: Marquette, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ki Sawyer Wwtp, 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 Gwinn’s climate
What is the weather like in Gwinn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 197 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gwinn in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Gwinn get?
About 197 inches in a normal winter at Marquette, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 153 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gwinn?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 53°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Ki Sawyer Wwtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Gwinn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 141 frost-free days, at Ki Sawyer Wwtp, MI.
What growing zone is Gwinn in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gwinn?
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 Gwinn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gwinn.
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.