Pentwater has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 18°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 76% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 12, with the first autumn frost due around October 10.
A year in Pentwater at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pentwater’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pentwater’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Pentwater feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hart 3 Wsw, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pentwater’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 79 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hart 3 Wsw, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pentwater
95% 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 Hart 3 Wsw, MI.
Living with Pentwater’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pentwater from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pentwater and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pentwater in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pentwater’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentwater, MI | 18° | 78° | 35" | 79" |
| Webster, NY | 19° | 80° | 35" | 86" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 75" |
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 Pentwater averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.0°).
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 Pentwater compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pentwater’s place among Michigan’s.
Pentwater weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pentwater’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hart 3 Wsw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 18° | 2.2" | 26.4" | 16 | 26 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 19° | 1.7" | 20.0" | 13 | 23 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 41° | 25° | 2.0" | 5.9" | 9 | 10 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 53° | 34° | 3.4" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 78° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 32° | 3.1" | 5.4" | 13 | 4 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.4" | 19.6" | 14 | 19 | 20° – 38° |
| Year | 55° | 38° | 35.2" | 78.5" | 137 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Pentwater’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 Pentwater’s center.
- Snow: Hart 3 Wsw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hart 3 Wsw, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher; 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 Pentwater’s climate
What is the weather like in Pentwater?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 79 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pentwater in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Pentwater get?
About 79 inches in a normal winter at Hart 3 Wsw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pentwater?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 59°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Hart 3 Wsw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Pentwater?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 151 frost-free days, at Hart 3 Wsw, MI.
What growing zone is Pentwater in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pentwater?
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 Pentwater 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 Pentwater.
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.