Summer arrives softly in Paw Paw Lake, cooler than in 76% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 19°. Only 64° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 70% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Paw Paw Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paw Paw Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paw Paw Lake’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Paw Paw Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Benton Harbor Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paw Paw Lake’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 78 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Benton Harbor Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Paw Paw Lake
90% 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 Benton Harbor Airport.
Living with Paw Paw Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 17.
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 Paw Paw Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paw Paw Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Paw Paw Lake yet.
Climates most like Paw Paw Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paw Paw Lake, MI | 19° | 83° | 38" | 78" |
| North Tonawanda, NY | 18° | 81° | 37" | 72" |
| Montrose-Ghent, OH | 20° | 83° | 39" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
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 Paw Paw Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller 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 Paw Paw Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paw Paw Lake’s place among Michigan’s.
Paw Paw Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paw Paw Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Benton Harbor Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 19° | 2.4" | 29.5" | 14 | 16 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 20° | 2.0" | 18.8" | 10 | 11 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 2.2" | 7.7" | 10 | 4 | 29° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 3.5" | 1.1" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 2.8" | 3.8" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 38° | 25° | 2.5" | 16.6" | 13 | 8 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 37.5" | 77.7" | 126 | 41 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Paw Paw Lake’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 Paw Paw Lake’s center.
- Snow: Benton Harbor Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benton Harbor Airport, 10 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 Paw Paw Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Paw Paw Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 78 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paw Paw Lake in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Paw Paw Lake get?
About 78 inches in a normal winter at Benton Harbor Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 41 days a year.
How hot does it get in Paw Paw Lake?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Benton Harbor Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Paw Paw Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 164 frost-free days, at Benton Harbor Airport.
What growing zone is Paw Paw Lake in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paw Paw Lake?
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 Paw Paw Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paw Paw Lake.
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.