Lobb House · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0Munising gets about 161 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 42 U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 74°. Only 62° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Central heating does most of its work from October to May, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Munising at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Munising’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Munising’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Munising feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Munising, MI, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Munising’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 161 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Munising, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; October is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 176 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Munising
98% 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 Munising, MI.
Living with Munising’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 16 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Munising from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Munising and its neighbors
Au Train Township has the coldest January nights next door (9°, 2° colder) and Au Train Township the hottest July afternoons (77°, 4° 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 Munising’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munising, MI | 11° | 74° | 36" | 161" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Morristown, VT | 7° | 78° | 43" | 139" |
| Attica, NY | 14° | 77° | 42" | 109" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
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 Munising averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Munising compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Munising’s place among Michigan’s.
Munising weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Munising’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Munising, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 11° | 2.8" | 46.0" | 22 | 31 | 6° – 27° |
| February | 26° | 12° | 1.8" | 32.4" | 17 | 29 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 35° | 19° | 1.8" | 17.9" | 12 | 31 | 15° – 39° |
| April | 46° | 29° | 2.7" | 9.6" | 11 | 18 | 30° – 45° |
| May | 60° | 39° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| June | 69° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 74° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 73° | 56° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 65° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 39° | 4.3" | 1.1" | 18 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 28° | 3.2" | 14.9" | 17 | 12 | 26° – 41° |
| December | 29° | 18° | 2.7" | 39.1" | 19 | 26 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 49° | 34° | 36.4" | 161.0" | 176 | 148 |
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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Munising’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 Munising’s center.
- Snow: Munising, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Munising, MI, 2.4 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 Munising’s climate
What is the weather like in Munising?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 161 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 155 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Munising in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Munising get?
About 161 inches in a normal winter at Munising, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 148 days a year.
How hot does it get in Munising?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Munising, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Munising?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 148 frost-free days, at Munising, MI.
What growing zone is Munising in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Munising?
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 Munising getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Munising.
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.