Pipestone Township gets about 87 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 73% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 22 to October 30.
A year in Pipestone Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pipestone Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pipestone Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Pipestone Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pipestone 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 87 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pipestone Township
86% 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 Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI.
Living with Pipestone Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pipestone Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pipestone Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pipestone Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pipestone 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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestone Township, MI | 18° | 83° | 39" | 87" |
| Endicott, NY | 16° | 83° | 40" | 87" |
| Girard, OH | 19° | 83° | 41" | 68" |
| Sharon, PA | 18° | 83° | 42" | 68" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
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 Pipestone Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Pipestone Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pipestone Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Pipestone Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pipestone Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 2.6" | 30.5" | 17 | 23 | 16° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 20° | 2.1" | 17.0" | 12 | 18 | 15° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.3" | 8.1" | 11 | 7 | 28° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.4" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.9" | 6.6" | 12 | 3 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 24° | 2.5" | 22.6" | 15 | 16 | 18° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 39.2" | 86.6" | 141 | 68 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Pipestone 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 Pipestone Township’s center.
- Snow: Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Pipestone Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Pipestone Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pipestone Township in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 122 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 16°.
How much snow does Pipestone Township get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pipestone Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Pipestone Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 189 frost-free days, at Eau Claire 4 Ne, MI.
What growing zone is Pipestone 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 Pipestone Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pipestone Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pipestone Township.
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.