Photo: David Coats · CC BY-SA 3.0Onaway gets about 87 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 92% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Tender plants can go out after about May 22; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Onaway at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Onaway’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Onaway’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Onaway feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Onaway 4n, MI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Onaway’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 87 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Onaway 4n, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Onaway
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 Onaway 4n, MI.
Living with Onaway’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 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 Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Onaway from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Onaway and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Onaway in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Onaway’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onaway, MI | 11° | 80° | 31" | 87" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Rothschild, WI | 6° | 80° | 33" | 64" |
| Ham Lake, MN | 5° | 82° | 32" | 64" |
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 Onaway averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Onaway compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Onaway’s place among Michigan’s.
Onaway weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Onaway’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Onaway 4n, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 11° | 1.9" | 21.3" | 18 | 30 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 10° | 1.4" | 17.7" | 13 | 28 | 5° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.7" | 11.3" | 11 | 23 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 2.7" | 6.9" | 11 | 5 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.7" | 16 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 28° | 2.3" | 7.3" | 15 | 7 | 29° – 42° |
| December | 32° | 19° | 2.2" | 21.6" | 17 | 22 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 31.4" | 86.9" | 159 | 114 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Onaway’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 Onaway’s center.
- Snow: Onaway 4n, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Onaway 4n, MI, 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 Onaway’s climate
What is the weather like in Onaway?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Onaway in winter?
February nights average 10°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Onaway get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter at Onaway 4n, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 114 days a year.
How hot does it get in Onaway?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Onaway 4n, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Onaway?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 135 frost-free days, at Onaway 4n, MI.
What growing zone is Onaway 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 Onaway?
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 Onaway getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Onaway.
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.