Hartford gets about 109 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. Seasons differ by 65°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 70% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Hartford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hartford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hartford’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Hartford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Benton Harbor Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hartford’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 109 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bloomingdale, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 143 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hartford
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Benton Harbor Airport.
Living with Hartford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hartford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hartford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hartford yet.
Climates most like Hartford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford, MI | 18° | 83° | 38" | 109" |
| Solon, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 114" |
| Clarence, NY | 18° | 81° | 39" | 95" |
| Erie, PA | 20° | 81° | 44" | 104" |
| Shelburne, VT | 11° | 82° | 38" | 88" |
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 Hartford averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Hartford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hartford’s place among Michigan’s.
Hartford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hartford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bloomingdale, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 2.5" | 35.9" | 17 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 20° | 2.1" | 22.9" | 13 | 15° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.2" | 7.9" | 12 | 28° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.5" | 1.7" | 12 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 12 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.9" | 7.3" | 13 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 24° | 2.5" | 32.8" | 15 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 38.2" | 109.0" | 143 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Hartford’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 Hartford’s center.
- Snow: Bloomingdale, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benton Harbor Airport, 14 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 Hartford’s climate
What is the weather like in Hartford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 109 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hartford in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Hartford get?
About 109 inches in a normal winter at Bloomingdale, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Hartford?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Benton Harbor Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Hartford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 164 frost-free days, at Benton Harbor Airport.
What growing zone is Hartford in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hartford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hartford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hartford.
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.