Morgan-Copp-Mervau Building · Public domainLeelanau Township gets about 91 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Leelanau Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leelanau Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Leelanau Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Leelanau Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Northport 2w, MI, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Leelanau Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 91 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Northport 2w, 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 157 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Leelanau Township
96% 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 Northport 2w, MI.
Living with Leelanau Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 30 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 59% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Leelanau Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Leelanau Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Leelanau Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Leelanau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leelanau Township, MI | 17° | 77° | 33" | 91" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
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 Leelanau Township averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Leelanau Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Leelanau Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Leelanau Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Leelanau Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Northport 2w, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 17° | 2.2" | 26.3" | 18 | 29 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 29° | 16° | 1.4" | 19.0" | 14 | 28 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 38° | 22° | 1.9" | 12.6" | 11 | 23 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 50° | 32° | 2.9" | 5.9" | 12 | 6 | 33° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 77° | 59° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 59° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 69° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 43° | 32° | 2.8" | 6.2" | 16 | 8 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 33° | 24° | 2.3" | 21.2" | 17 | 21 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 53° | 37° | 32.6" | 91.4" | 157 | 114 |
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 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Leelanau 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 Leelanau Township’s center.
- Snow: Northport 2w, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Northport 2w, MI, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Leelanau Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Leelanau Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Leelanau Township in winter?
February nights average 16°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Leelanau Township get?
About 91 inches in a normal winter at Northport 2w, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 114 days a year.
How hot does it get in Leelanau Township?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Northport 2w, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Leelanau Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 169 frost-free days, at Northport 2w, MI.
What growing zone is Leelanau Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Leelanau Township?
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 Leelanau Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Leelanau 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.