Photo: Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0Kingsley gets about 101 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 101 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Kingsley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kingsley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kingsley’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Kingsley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kingsley’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 101 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Traverse City Munson, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 168 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kingsley
93% 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 Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport.
Living with Kingsley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kingsley from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kingsley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kingsley yet.
Climates most like Kingsley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsley, MI | 14° | 81° | 33" | 101" |
| Sweden, NY | 17° | 80° | 35" | 102" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Beachwood, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 114" |
| Cedarburg, WI | 13° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
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 Kingsley averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Kingsley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kingsley’s place among Michigan’s.
Kingsley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kingsley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Traverse City Munson, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 14° | 2.1" | 32.3" | 21 | 28 | 10° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 13° | 1.4" | 21.4" | 16 | 27 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 41° | 21° | 1.8" | 12.3" | 12 | 20 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 3.0" | 4.7" | 13 | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.7" | 5.6" | 15 | 5 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 2.3" | 24.6" | 18 | 20 | 19° – 36° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 32.7" | 101.0" | 168 | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Kingsley’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 Kingsley’s center.
- Snow: Traverse City Munson, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower; 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 Kingsley’s climate
What is the weather like in Kingsley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 101 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kingsley in winter?
February nights average 13°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Kingsley get?
About 101 inches in a normal winter at Traverse City Munson, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 103 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kingsley?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Kingsley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 155 frost-free days, at Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport.
What growing zone is Kingsley in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kingsley?
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 Kingsley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kingsley.
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.