Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Lake Leelanau gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 171 U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 78°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Lake Leelanau at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Leelanau’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Leelanau’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Lake Leelanau feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Leelanau’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 115 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Leelanau
94% 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 Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
Living with Lake Leelanau’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 54% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Leelanau from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Leelanau and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lake Leelanau in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lake Leelanau’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 Leelanau, MI | 16° | 78° | 32" | 115" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| North Madison, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 114" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
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 Leelanau averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 97% 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 Leelanau compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Leelanau’s place among Michigan’s.
Lake Leelanau weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Leelanau’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 16° | 2.2" | 32.0" | 18 | 28 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 30° | 15° | 1.4" | 22.3" | 13 | 27 | 9° – 32° |
| March | 39° | 22° | 1.9" | 13.4" | 10 | 19 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 51° | 32° | 2.8" | 6.8" | 12 | 4 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 69° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 56° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 31° | 2.7" | 10.4" | 14 | 7 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 23° | 2.2" | 29.3" | 16 | 20 | 21° – 37° |
| Year | 54° | 37° | 32.0" | 114.5" | 149 | 105 |
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 Lake Leelanau’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 Leelanau’s center.
- Snow: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher; 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 Leelanau’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Leelanau?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Leelanau in winter?
February nights average 15°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Lake Leelanau get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Leelanau?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Leelanau?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 182 frost-free days, at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
What growing zone is Lake Leelanau in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Leelanau?
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 Lake Leelanau getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Leelanau.
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.