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Lipsett Hardware BuildingLipsett Hardware Building · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Pickford Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Pickford Township gets about 94 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 97% of U.S. towns#83Snowiest  of 718 in MI
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns#37Coolest summers  of 727 in MI
All MI rankings →

A year in Pickford Township at a glance

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

Jan24°8° 24" snow
Feb27°8° 16" snow
Mar36°16° 13" snow
Apr49°29° 6" snow
May64°40° Last frost ~May 31
Jun74°50° 1 day 90°+
Jul78°55° 2 days 90°+
Aug76°55°
Sep68°47° First frost ~Sep 25
Oct54°37° Wettest
Nov now41°27° 13" snow
Dec30°17° 22" snow

What stands out about Pickford Township’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Pickford Township feels like

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

Winter
27° / 11°
31 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
50° / 28°
Last frost around May 31
Summer
76° / 53°
3 days reach 90°
Fall
55° / 37°
First frost around Sep 25
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 116 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pickford 3ne, MI, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

184
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
15th most of 727 in Michigan
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns
34
nights at or below 0°
5th most of 727 in Michigan
More nights at or below 0° than 98% of U.S. towns
3
days that reach 90°
61st fewest of 727 in Michigan
Fewer 90° days than 94% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Pickford Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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

2.3
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 94 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Rudyard 4n, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 145 days a year.

34"
Rain + melted snow a year
244th driest of 727 in Michigan
Drier than 80% of U.S. towns
94"
Snow in a normal winter
83rd snowiest of 718 in Michigan
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns
136 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
14th most of 582 in Michigan
More days with snow on the ground than all but 60 U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

24"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Pickford 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.

8,615 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 189 U.S. towns
220 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 Pickford 3ne, MI.

Living here

Living with Pickford Township’s climate

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

The garden window

116 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 25.

Get outside

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

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pickford Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Pickford Township and its neighbors

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

Dafter Township: January low 7°, July high 78°Detour Township: January low 10°, July high 77°Chippewa Township: January low 8°, July high 76°Superior Township: January low 7°, July high 76°Trout Lake Township: January low 8°, July high 77°St. Ignace Township: January low 11°, July high 75°Sugar Island Township: January low 8°, July high 76°Sault Ste. Marie: January low 8°, July high 76°Bay Mills Township: January low 9°, July high 74°Bruce Township: January low 7°, July high 78°Raber Township: January low 8°, July high 78°Kinross Township: January low 7°, July high 77°Marquette Township: January low 10°, July high 76°Rudyard Township: January low 8°, July high 78°Clark Township: January low 10°, July high 76°Soo Township: January low 9°, July high 76°Pickford Township: January low 8°, July high 78°Pickford TownshipBruce TownshipRaber TownshipKinross TownshipMarquette TownshipRudyard TownshipClark TownshipSoo Township
ColderMilder7° to 11°
Bruce Township7.3° about the same
Kinross Township7.3° about the same
Rudyard Township7.5° about the same
Pickford Township8.0°
Raber Township8.4° about the same
Soo Township8.5° about the same
Clark Township10.1° +2.1°
Marquette Township10.2° +2.2°

Climates most like Pickford 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
Pickford Township, MI8°78°34"94"
Beekmantown, NY9°80°35"80"
Rhinelander, WI3°78°33"82"
Hermantown, MN2°77°31"90"
St. Johnsbury, VT5°79°41"87"

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 Pickford Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.6°now 19°, was 16°
Spring+1.4°now 39°, was 38°
Summer+1.5°now 64°, was 63°
Fall+1.4°now 46°, was 44°

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 Pickford Township compares

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

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns37th coolest of 727 in Michigan
Winter cold8° January low
Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns22nd coldest of 727 in Michigan
Precipitation34" a year
Drier than 80% of U.S. towns244th driest of 727 in Michigan
Snow94" a winter
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns83rd snowiest of 718 in Michigan
Hot days3 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 94% of U.S. towns61st fewest of 727 in Michigan
Freezing nights184 a year
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns15th most of 727 in Michigan
Growing season116 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than all but 94 U.S. towns6th shortest of 727 in Michigan
Month by month

Pickford Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pickford Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rudyard 4n, MI. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January24°8°2.1"24.2"15312° – 25°
February27°8°1.5"15.6"11292° – 29°
March36°16°1.8"12.6"102915° – 37°
April49°29°2.6"6.1"101232° – 46°
May64°40°2.8"0.1"10045° – 58°
June74°50°3.0"0.0"11058° – 66°
July78°55°3.2"0.0"12059° – 70°
August76°55°3.4"0.0"9061° – 69°
September68°47°3.6"0.0"13052° – 63°
October54°37°4.2"1.2"15041° – 51°
November41°27°3.0"12.7"141127° – 41°
December30°17°2.6"21.6"152413° – 33°
Year52°32°33.6"94.1"145136
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 2° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Pickford 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 Pickford Township’s center.
  • Snow: Rudyard 4n, MI.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pickford 3ne, MI, 1.0 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 Pickford Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Pickford Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Pickford Township in winter?

February nights average 8°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.

How much snow does Pickford Township get?

About 94 inches in a normal winter at Rudyard 4n, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 136 days a year.

How hot does it get in Pickford Township?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 55°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Pickford 3ne, MI).

When is the first and last frost in Pickford Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 116 frost-free days, at Pickford 3ne, MI.

What growing zone is Pickford Township in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.

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

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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