Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Ontonagon Township gets about 178 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 34 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 77°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 69°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Ontonagon Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ontonagon Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ontonagon Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Ontonagon Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 27 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ontonagon Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 178 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ontonagon Township
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 Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
Living with Ontonagon Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 27 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 163 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ontonagon Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ontonagon Township and its neighbors
Matchwood Township has the coldest January nights next door (5°, 3° colder) and Greenland Township the hottest July afternoons (78°, 2° 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 Ontonagon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontonagon Township, MI | 8° | 77° | 32" | 178" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
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 Ontonagon Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Ontonagon Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ontonagon Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Ontonagon Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ontonagon Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ontonagon 6 Se, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 8° | 2.3" | 53.1" | 18 | 4° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 1.4" | 27.0" | 12 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 37° | 16° | 1.5" | 17.6" | 9 | 16° – 42° |
| April | 49° | 28° | 2.6" | 6.9" | 9 | 30° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 40° | 3.0" | 1.0" | 10 | 44° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 36° | 3.5" | 2.5" | 14 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 2.5" | 21.4" | 13 | 24° – 42° |
| December | 29° | 15° | 2.1" | 48.1" | 16 | 12° – 31° |
| Year | 51° | 32° | 32.3" | 177.7" | 142 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ontonagon 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 Ontonagon Township’s center.
- Snow: Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, 3 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 Ontonagon Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ontonagon Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 178 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ontonagon Township in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Ontonagon Township get?
About 178 inches in a normal winter at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Ontonagon Township?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Ontonagon 6 Se, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Ontonagon Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 27 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 127 frost-free days, at Ontonagon 6 Se, MI.
What growing zone is Ontonagon Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ontonagon Township?
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 Ontonagon Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ontonagon 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.