Mackinac Point Lighthouse · Photo: James Marvin Phelps · CC BY 2.0Mackinaw Township gets about 88 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 76°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 64° apart. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from June to September, when afternoons reach 68–76°.
A year in Mackinaw Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mackinaw Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mackinaw Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Mackinaw Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mackinaw Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 88 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cheboygan, 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 153 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mackinaw Township
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 St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI.
Living with Mackinaw Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 8.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mackinaw Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mackinaw Township and its neighbors
Hebron Township has the coldest January nights next door (12°, 1° colder) and Beaugrand Township the hottest July afternoons (78°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Mackinaw 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinaw Township, MI | 13° | 76° | 32" | 88" |
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Alfred, NY | 13° | 78° | 40" | 82" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
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 Mackinaw Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Mackinaw Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mackinaw Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Mackinaw Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mackinaw Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cheboygan, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 13° | 1.7" | 24.2" | 16 | 29 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 12° | 1.2" | 18.1" | 12 | 27 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 37° | 19° | 1.7" | 11.6" | 10 | 21 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 48° | 30° | 2.7" | 4.9" | 12 | 4 | 32° – 46° |
| May | 61° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 76° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.5" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 31° | 2.6" | 6.2" | 15 | 6 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 2.1" | 22.0" | 15 | 20 | 17° – 36° |
| Year | 51° | 35° | 31.6" | 87.6" | 153 | 107 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Mackinaw 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 Mackinaw Township’s center.
- Snow: Cheboygan, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI, 7 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 Mackinaw Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Mackinaw Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 88 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mackinaw Township in winter?
February nights average 12°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Mackinaw Township get?
About 88 inches in a normal winter at Cheboygan, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 107 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mackinaw Township?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Mackinaw Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 167 frost-free days, at St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI.
What growing zone is Mackinaw Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mackinaw Township?
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 Mackinaw Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mackinaw 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.