Photo: Jesse Sallak · CC BY-SA 4.0Mancelona gets about 132 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 95 U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 80°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 68° apart. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 24 to October 1.
A year in Mancelona at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mancelona’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mancelona’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Mancelona feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kalkaska, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mancelona’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 132 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kalkaska, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mancelona
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 Kalkaska, MI.
Living with Mancelona’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 24 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: May, June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mancelona from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mancelona and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mancelona yet.
Climates most like Mancelona’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mancelona, MI | 12° | 80° | 36" | 132" |
| Brownville, NY | 12° | 80° | 41" | 116" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Beachwood, OH | 19° | 82° | 42" | 114" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Mancelona averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Mancelona compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mancelona’s place among Michigan’s.
Mancelona weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mancelona’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kalkaska, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 12° | 2.4" | 38.3" | 17 | 30 | 8° – 29° |
| February | 29° | 12° | 1.7" | 24.8" | 12 | 28 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 39° | 19° | 1.9" | 13.7" | 10 | 23 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 52° | 30° | 3.1" | 6.8" | 11 | 4 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 38° | 4.4" | 1.0" | 15 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 42° | 28° | 3.1" | 17.1" | 15 | 10 | 28° – 43° |
| December | 32° | 19° | 2.7" | 29.7" | 16 | 24 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 54° | 34° | 36.3" | 132.1" | 148 | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Mancelona’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 Mancelona’s center.
- Snow: Kalkaska, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kalkaska, MI, 13 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 Mancelona’s climate
What is the weather like in Mancelona?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 132 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mancelona in winter?
February nights average 12°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Mancelona get?
About 132 inches in a normal winter at Kalkaska, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 120 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mancelona?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Kalkaska, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Mancelona?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 128 frost-free days, at Kalkaska, MI.
What growing zone is Mancelona in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mancelona?
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 Mancelona getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mancelona.
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.