Mass City gets about 178 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 34 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 78°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. From June to September, highs of 68–78° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Mass City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mass City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mass City’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Mass City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 27 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mass City’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 178 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mass City
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 Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
Living with Mass City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 27 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. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mass City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mass City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mass City yet.
Climates most like Mass City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass City, MI | 6° | 78° | 33" | 178" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Aspen, CO | 10° | 80° | 20" | 171" |
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 Mass City averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Mass City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mass City’s place among Michigan’s.
Mass City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mass City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ontonagon 6 Se, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 6° | 2.2" | 53.1" | 18 | 2° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 1.4" | 27.0" | 12 | 2° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 14° | 1.6" | 17.6" | 9 | 15° – 41° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 2.6" | 6.9" | 9 | 30° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.1" | 1.0" | 10 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 3.6" | 2.5" | 14 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 24° | 2.5" | 21.4" | 13 | 22° – 40° |
| December | 27° | 13° | 2.1" | 48.1" | 16 | 10° – 29° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 32.8" | 177.7" | 142 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Mass City’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 Mass City’s center.
- Snow: Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Mass City’s climate
What is the weather like in Mass City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 178 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mass City in winter?
February nights average 6°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Mass City get?
About 178 inches in a normal winter at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Mass City?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Ontonagon 6 Se, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Mass City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 27 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 127 frost-free days, at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
What growing zone is Mass City in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mass City?
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 Mass City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mass City.
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.