Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0Summer arrives softly in New Era, cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 16°. Winter and summer sit 64° apart. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in New Era at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New Era’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New Era’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in New Era feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Montague 4 Nw, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts New Era’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 79 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hart 3 Wsw, 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 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in New Era
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Montague 4 Nw, MI.
Living with New Era’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 4.
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 New Era from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New Era and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around New Era yet.
Climates most like New Era’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Era, MI | 16° | 81° | 36" | 79" |
| Batavia, NY | 16° | 80° | 37" | 74" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 75" |
| Broadview Heights, OH | 20° | 82° | 40" | 65" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
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 New Era averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 New Era compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New Era’s place among Michigan’s.
New Era weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New Era’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hart 3 Wsw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | 2.3" | 26.4" | 16 | 26 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 1.9" | 20.0" | 13 | 23 | 14° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 2.1" | 5.9" | 9 | 10 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 3.6" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 31° | 3.1" | 5.4" | 13 | 4 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 22° | 2.4" | 19.6" | 14 | 19 | 20° – 37° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 36.4" | 78.5" | 137 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 48°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where New Era’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 New Era’s center.
- Snow: Hart 3 Wsw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Montague 4 Nw, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 New Era’s climate
What is the weather like in New Era?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 79 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New Era in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does New Era get?
About 79 inches in a normal winter at Hart 3 Wsw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in New Era?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Montague 4 Nw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in New Era?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 136 frost-free days, at Montague 4 Nw, MI.
What growing zone is New Era in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit New Era?
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 New Era getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New Era.
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.