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OldMission-MI-lighthousePhoto: User: (WT-shared) Haem85 at wts wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Peninsula Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Peninsula Township gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 171 U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than all but 171 U.S. towns#31Snowiest  of 717 in MI
Cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns#50Coolest summers  of 726 in MI
All MI rankings →

A year in Peninsula Township at a glance

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

Jan29°18° 32" snow
Feb30°17° 22" snow
Mar40°23° 13" snow
Apr52°32° 7" snow
May65°43° Last frost ~May 13
Jun75°53° 1 day 90°+
Jul79°59° 2 days 90°+
Aug78°59° 1 day 90°+
Sep71°52° 1 day 90°+
Oct57°42° First frost ~Oct 19Wettest
Nov now45°32° 10" snow
Dec34°24° 29" snow

What stands out about Peninsula Township’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Peninsula Township feels like

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

Winter
31° / 20°
44 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
52° / 33°
Last frost around May 13
Summer
77° / 57°
5 days reach 90°
Fall
57° / 42°
First frost around Oct 19
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 158 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Old Mission 3ssw, MI, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

157
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
129th most of 726 in Michigan
More freezing nights than 90% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
455th most of 726 in Michigan
More nights at or below 0° than 73% of U.S. towns
5
days that reach 90°
104th fewest of 726 in Michigan
Fewer 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Peninsula Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

30
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

2.1
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 115 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, 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 149 days a year.

31"
Rain + melted snow a year
23rd driest of 726 in Michigan
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns
115"
Snow in a normal winter
31st snowiest of 717 in Michigan
More snow than all but 171 U.S. towns
105 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
49th most of 581 in Michigan
More days with snow on the ground than 97% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

32"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Peninsula Township

94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

7,237 heating degree daysMore heating than 90% of U.S. towns
428 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 89% 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 Old Mission 3ssw, MI.

Living here

Living with Peninsula Township’s climate

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

The garden window

158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 19.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 33 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Peninsula Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Peninsula Township and its neighbors

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

Garfield Township: January low 16°, July high 80°East Bay Township: January low 15°, July high 80°Elmwood Township: January low 17°, July high 79°Greilickville: January low 16°, July high 79°Traverse City: January low 17°, July high 79°Peninsula Township: January low 18°, July high 79°Peninsula TownshipTraverse City
ColderMilder15° to 18°
Traverse City17.1° about the same
Peninsula Township17.5°

Climates most like Peninsula 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Peninsula Township, MI18°79°31"115"
Greece, NY19°79°34"102"
Summit Park, UT19°79°30"153"
North Madison, OH22°80°41"114"
Black Forest, CO16°81°20"121"

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 Peninsula Township averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.7°).

+2.3°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 97% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.2°now 25°, was 22°
Spring+2.3°now 42°, was 40°
Summer+1.8°now 67°, was 65°
Fall+1.8°now 50°, was 48°

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 Peninsula Township compares

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

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns50th coolest of 726 in Michigan
Winter cold18° January low
Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns526th coldest of 726 in Michigan
Precipitation31" a year
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns23rd driest of 726 in Michigan
Snow115" a winter
More snow than all but 171 U.S. towns31st snowiest of 717 in Michigan
Hot days5 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns104th fewest of 726 in Michigan
Freezing nights157 a year
More freezing nights than 90% of U.S. towns129th most of 726 in Michigan
Growing season158 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 86% of U.S. towns213th shortest of 726 in Michigan
Month by month

Peninsula Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Peninsula Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January29°18°2.0"32.0"182813° – 32°
February30°17°1.3"22.3"13279° – 33°
March40°23°1.7"13.4"101921° – 46°
April52°32°2.8"6.8"12434° – 48°
May65°43°3.0"0.0"13046° – 60°
June75°53°2.8"0.0"10059° – 70°
July79°59°2.7"0.0"9062° – 73°
August78°59°3.0"0.0"9063° – 73°
September71°52°3.5"0.0"11055° – 67°
October57°42°3.9"0.3"15045° – 56°
November45°32°2.6"10.4"14731° – 46°
December34°24°2.1"29.3"162021° – 39°
Year54°38°31.4"114.5"149105
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Peninsula 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 Peninsula Township’s center.
  • Snow: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Old Mission 3ssw, MI, 2.2 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 Peninsula Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Peninsula Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Peninsula Township in winter?

February nights average 17°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.

How much snow does Peninsula Township get?

About 115 inches in a normal winter at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.

How hot does it get in Peninsula Township?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Old Mission 3ssw, MI).

When is the first and last frost in Peninsula Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 158 frost-free days, at Old Mission 3ssw, MI.

What growing zone is Peninsula Township in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.

What is the best time of year to visit Peninsula 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 Peninsula Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Peninsula 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.