Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Laurium sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
On a normal January night the air cools to about 8°. Temperatures cover 68° across the year, low to high. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 95% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 17, with the first autumn frost due around October 1.
A year in Laurium at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Laurium’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Laurium’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Laurium feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hancock Houghton Co Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Laurium’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 30 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Laurium
98% 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 Hancock Houghton Co Airport.
Living with Laurium’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Laurium from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 35%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Laurium and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Laurium in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Laurium averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Laurium compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Laurium’s place among Michigan’s.
Laurium weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Laurium’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 8° | 2.1" | 3° – 24° |
| February | 25° | 8° | 1.4" | 4° – 29° |
| March | 36° | 15° | 1.4" | 16° – 39° |
| April | 47° | 27° | 2.3" | 31° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 39° | 3.0" | 45° – 55° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 3.1" | 57° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 54° | 3.3" | 58° – 70° |
| August | 74° | 53° | 3.0" | 58° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 46° | 3.4" | 50° – 62° |
| October | 52° | 35° | 3.4" | 39° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 24° | 2.2" | 23° – 39° |
| December | 27° | 15° | 1.8" | 12° – 30° |
| Year | 50° | 31° | 30.4" |
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 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Laurium’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 Laurium’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hancock Houghton Co Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Laurium’s climate
What is the weather like in Laurium?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 8°. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Laurium in winter?
February nights average 8°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How hot does it get in Laurium?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hancock Houghton Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Laurium?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 138 frost-free days, at Hancock Houghton Co Airport.
What growing zone is Laurium in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Laurium?
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 Laurium getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Laurium.
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.