January in Houghton Lake bites harder than in 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 88% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.1° rise. Tender plants can go out after about May 19; in half of years the first frost comes by September 23.
A year in Houghton Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Houghton Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Houghton Lake’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Houghton Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 23. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Houghton Lake 2nw, MI, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Houghton Lake’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June 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 Houghton Lake
96% 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 Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport.
Living with Houghton Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Houghton Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Houghton Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Houghton Lake yet.
Climates most like Houghton Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Lake, MI | 12° | 81° | 33" | 66" |
| Lawrence, WI | 11° | 81° | 33" | 56" |
| Hornell, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 62" |
| Prior Lake, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 55" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
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 Houghton Lake averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Houghton Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Houghton Lake’s place among Michigan’s.
Houghton Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Houghton Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 12° | 2.0" | 16.4" | 14 | 29 | 9° – 29° |
| February | 31° | 12° | 1.6" | 13.6" | 11 | 27 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 20° | 1.9" | 8.3" | 11 | 19 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 3.3" | 4.4" | 12 | 4 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.5" | 14 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 28° | 2.4" | 7.5" | 13 | 7 | 28° – 43° |
| December | 33° | 19° | 2.1" | 15.1" | 14 | 19 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 32.8" | 65.9" | 141 | 104 |
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 10°.
Where Houghton Lake’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 Houghton Lake’s center.
- Snow: Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Houghton Lake 2nw, MI, 1.4 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 Houghton Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Houghton Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Houghton Lake in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Houghton Lake get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 104 days a year.
How hot does it get in Houghton Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Houghton Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 125 frost-free days, at Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport.
What growing zone is Houghton Lake in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Houghton Lake?
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 Houghton Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Houghton Lake.
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.