Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0L'Anse gets about 208 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 13 U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 76°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about May 25; in half of years the first frost comes by September 23.
A year in L'Anse at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about L'Anse’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with L'Anse’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in L'Anse feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baraga 7nw, MI, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts L'Anse’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 208 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Herman, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 174 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in L'Anse
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 Baraga 7nw, MI.
Living with L'Anse’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 25 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: June, July, August and September. 5.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in L'Anse from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →L'Anse and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around L'Anse yet.
Climates most like L'Anse’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Anse, MI | 11° | 76° | 31" | 208" |
| Edwards, CO | 11° | 79° | 20" | 189" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Hanover, NY | 17° | 80° | 42" | 208" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 L'Anse averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 L'Anse compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with L'Anse’s place among Michigan’s.
L'Anse weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at L'Anse’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Herman, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 11° | 1.9" | 47.8" | 18 | 31 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 27° | 9° | 1.4" | 35.0" | 14 | 29 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.5" | 27.8" | 13 | 30 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 48° | 29° | 2.4" | 16.4" | 13 | 19 | 30° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 40° | 3.0" | 2.2" | 13 | 2 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 75° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 37° | 3.5" | 8.0" | 16 | 4 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 27° | 2.4" | 28.7" | 17 | 18 | 25° – 43° |
| December | 30° | 17° | 1.9" | 41.7" | 18 | 30 | 14° – 32° |
| Year | 51° | 33° | 31.3" | 207.8" | 174 | 162 |
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 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where L'Anse’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 L'Anse’s center.
- Snow: Herman, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baraga 7nw, MI, 9 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 L'Anse’s climate
What is the weather like in L'Anse?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 208 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in L'Anse in winter?
February nights average 9°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does L'Anse get?
About 208 inches in a normal winter at Herman, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 162 days a year.
How hot does it get in L'Anse?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Baraga 7nw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in L'Anse?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 119 frost-free days, at Baraga 7nw, MI.
What growing zone is L'Anse 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 L'Anse?
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 L'Anse getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in L'Anse.
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.