Photo: Aaron Linville · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Harbor Beach
In January the night’s low is typically 17°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 82% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 62–77°.
A year in Harbor Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harbor Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harbor Beach’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Harbor Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harbor Beach’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harbor Beach
95% 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 Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI.
Living with Harbor Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 2 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Harbor Beach from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harbor Beach and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Harbor Beach yet.
Climates most like Harbor Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Beach, MI | 17° | 77° | 33" | 47" |
| Sheboygan, WI | 15° | 79° | 32" | 45" |
| Newfane, NY | 20° | 80° | 33" | 55" |
| Winthrop Harbor, IL | 17° | 81° | 36" | 36" |
| Lorain, OH | 22° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
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 Harbor Beach averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
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 Harbor Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harbor Beach’s place among Michigan’s.
Harbor Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harbor Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 17° | 2.3" | 15.4" | 16 | 25 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 17° | 1.9" | 11.2" | 11 | 25 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 39° | 25° | 1.9" | 6.0" | 10 | 17 | 22° – 44° |
| April | 51° | 34° | 3.2" | 1.4" | 12 | 2 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 62° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| June | 72° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 77° | 60° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 58° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 45° | 33° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 13 | 2 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.2" | 11.5" | 15 | 15 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 32.8" | 47.2" | 140 | 85 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Harbor Beach’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 Harbor Beach’s center.
- Snow: Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI, 1.1 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 Harbor Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Harbor Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harbor Beach in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Harbor Beach get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 85 days a year.
How hot does it get in Harbor Beach?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 60°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Harbor Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 173 frost-free days, at Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI.
What growing zone is Harbor Beach in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Harbor Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Harbor Beach 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 Harbor Beach.
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.