Nights turn raw in McBain each January, colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 67–81°.
A year in McBain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McBain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McBain’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in McBain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake City Exp Farm, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McBain’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lake City Exp Farm, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 155 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McBain
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 Lake City Exp Farm, MI.
Living with McBain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McBain from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McBain and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of McBain in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like McBain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McBain, MI | 12° | 81° | 34" | 74" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Slinger, WI | 11° | 81° | 34" | 54" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 82° | 39" | 61" |
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 McBain averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 McBain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McBain’s place among Michigan’s.
McBain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McBain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lake City Exp Farm, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 12° | 2.1" | 18.7" | 16 | 29 | 9° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 12° | 1.6" | 13.9" | 12 | 27 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 2.0" | 9.4" | 11 | 21 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 3.5" | 5.2" | 13 | 4 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 3.6" | 1.4" | 15 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 27° | 2.5" | 9.0" | 14 | 7 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 32° | 19° | 2.1" | 16.1" | 15 | 21 | 17° – 35° |
| Year | 55° | 33° | 34.1" | 74.0" | 155 | 109 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where McBain’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 McBain’s center.
- Snow: Lake City Exp Farm, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake City Exp Farm, MI, 8 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 McBain’s climate
What is the weather like in McBain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McBain in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does McBain get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Lake City Exp Farm, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 109 days a year.
How hot does it get in McBain?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Lake City Exp Farm, MI).
When is the first and last frost in McBain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 125 frost-free days, at Lake City Exp Farm, MI.
What growing zone is McBain in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit McBain?
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 McBain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McBain.
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.