Afternoon heat in Onondaga Township trails that of 78% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 17°. Its January nights bite harder than in 78% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.5° higher. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Onondaga Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Onondaga Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Onondaga Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Onondaga Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eaton Rapids, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Onondaga Township’s center in zone 6a: 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Charlotte, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 145 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Onondaga Township
92% 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 Eaton Rapids, MI.
Living with Onondaga Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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: May, June, July, August and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Onondaga Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Onondaga Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Onondaga Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Onondaga Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onondaga Township, MI | 17° | 82° | 35" | 38" |
| Pleasant Prairie, WI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 36" |
| Big Flats, NY | 16° | 82° | 35" | 42" |
| Zion, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 36" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
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 Onondaga Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Onondaga Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Onondaga Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Onondaga Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Onondaga Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Charlotte, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.3" | 14.9" | 15 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 1.9" | 4.4" | 12 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.2" | 5.8" | 11 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.3" | 1.0" | 14 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 50° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 14 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.6" | 2.1" | 13 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.0" | 9.6" | 14 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 35.3" | 38.1" | 145 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Onondaga Township’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 Onondaga Township’s center.
- Snow: Charlotte, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eaton Rapids, MI, 6 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 Onondaga Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Onondaga Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Onondaga Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Onondaga Township get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Charlotte, MI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Onondaga Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Eaton Rapids, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Onondaga Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 165 frost-free days, at Eaton Rapids, MI.
What growing zone is Onondaga Township in?
Zone 6a 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 Onondaga Township?
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 Onondaga Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Onondaga Township.
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.