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Dollar Bay, Michigan, Post OfficePhoto: Chris857 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Osceola Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Osceola Township’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 76°

A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 8°.

Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns#23 coldest of 727 in MI
Cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns#9Coolest summers  of 727 in MI
All MI rankings →

A year in Osceola Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan22°8°
Feb25°8°
Mar36°15°
Apr48°28°
May62°39° Last frost ~May 17
Jun72°49° 1 day 90°+
Jul76°54° 1 day 90°+
Aug75°53°
Sep67°47° Wettest
Oct53°36° First frost ~Oct 1
Nov now38°25°
Dec27°15°

What stands out about Osceola Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Osceola Township’s place in Michigan beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Osceola Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
25° / 10°
Snow is rare
Spring
49° / 27°
Last frost around May 17
Summer
74° / 52°
2 days reach 90°
Fall
53° / 36°
First frost around Oct 1
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 138 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hancock Houghton Co Airport, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

175
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
44th most of 727 in Michigan
More freezing nights than 97% of U.S. towns
17
nights at or below 0°
54th most of 727 in Michigan
More nights at or below 0° than 92% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 90°
16th fewest of 727 in Michigan
Fewer 90° days than 96% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Osceola Township’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°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

0.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 30 inches of rain a year

September is the wettest month and February the driest.

30"
Rain + melted snow a year
8th driest of 727 in Michigan
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.4"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Osceola Township

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.

9,013 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 118 U.S. towns
206 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 97% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Hancock Houghton Co Airport.

Living here

Living with Osceola Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

138 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 17 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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 42 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Osceola Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Osceola Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Osceola Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Schoolcraft Township: January low 12°, July high 75°Chassell Township: January low 9°, July high 77°Portage Township: January low 7°, July high 78°Hubbell: January low 8°, July high 77°Lake Linden: January low 9°, July high 77°Allouez Township: January low 10°, July high 75°Hancock Township: January low 9°, July high 76°Laurium: January low 8°, July high 76°Hancock: January low 8°, July high 77°Houghton: January low 8°, July high 78°Quincy Township: January low 8°, July high 77°Torch Lake Township: January low 12°, July high 75°Calumet Township: January low 9°, July high 76°Franklin Township: January low 8°, July high 77°Dollar Bay: January low 8°, July high 77°Osceola Township: January low 8°, July high 76°Osceola TownshipTorch Lake TownshipCalumet TownshipFranklin TownshipDollar Bay
ColderMilder7° to 12°
Franklin Township7.9° about the same
Dollar Bay7.9° about the same
Osceola Township8.2°
Calumet Township8.7° about the same
Torch Lake Township11.5° +3.3°

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Osceola Township averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 76% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 18°, was 15°
Spring+1.3°now 38°, was 37°
Summer+1.2°now 63°, was 62°
Fall+1.5°now 44°, was 43°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Osceola Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Osceola Township’s place among Michigan’s.

Summer heat76° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns9th coolest of 727 in Michigan
Winter cold8° January low
Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns23rd coldest of 727 in Michigan
Precipitation30" a year
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns8th driest of 727 in Michigan
Hot days2 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 96% of U.S. towns16th fewest of 727 in Michigan
Freezing nights175 a year
More freezing nights than 97% of U.S. towns44th most of 727 in Michigan
Growing season138 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 97% of U.S. towns75th shortest of 727 in Michigan
Month by month

Osceola Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Osceola Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January22°8°2.1"3° – 24°
February25°8°1.3"4° – 29°
March36°15°1.4"16° – 39°
April48°28°2.3"32° – 46°
May62°39°3.0"45° – 56°
June72°49°3.1"57° – 66°
July76°54°3.2"58° – 70°
August75°53°3.0"58° – 68°
September67°47°3.4"51° – 63°
October53°36°3.3"39° – 49°
November38°25°2.2"23° – 40°
December27°15°1.8"12° – 30°
Year50°31°30.0"
Year to year

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 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Osceola 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 Osceola Township’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hancock Houghton Co Airport, 1.9 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 Osceola Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Osceola Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 8°. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Osceola Township in winter?

February nights average 8°. About 175 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 4°.

How hot does it get in Osceola Township?

July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Hancock Houghton Co Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Osceola Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 138 frost-free days, at Hancock Houghton Co Airport.

What growing zone is Osceola Township 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 Osceola 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 Osceola Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 76% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Osceola Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.