Afternoon heat in Lake Township trails that of 76% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 19°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in February. Its January nights bite harder than in 66% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to October brings highs of 62–83°.
A year in Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Lake Township 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, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Township’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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Niles, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 147 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Township
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 Lake Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lake Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lake Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Township, MI | 19° | 83° | 39" | 63" |
| Brunswick, OH | 20° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Seneca Falls, NY | 18° | 82° | 38" | 56" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lake Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Niles, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 2.5" | 22.6" | 16 | 20 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 2.1" | 13.6" | 12 | 15 | 16° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 29° | 2.3" | 6.3" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 58° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.8" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 49° | 33° | 2.9" | 4.6" | 13 | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 25° | 2.5" | 14.5" | 15 | 12 | 19° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 41° | 38.8" | 62.5" | 147 | 55 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Lake Township’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 Lake Township’s center.
- Snow: Niles, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benton Harbor Airport, 15 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 Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Township in winter?
January nights average 19°. 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 Lake Township get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Niles, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 55 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Benton Harbor Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Township?
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 Lake Township 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 Lake Township?
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 Lake Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Township.
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.