Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Port Austin
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 17° on average. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 84% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 62–78°.
A year in Port Austin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Port Austin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Port Austin’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Port Austin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Port Austin Wwtp, MI, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Port Austin’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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Port Austin
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 Port Austin Wwtp, MI.
Living with Port Austin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Port Austin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Port Austin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Port Austin yet.
Climates most like Port Austin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Austin, MI | 17° | 78° | 32" | 47" |
| Sheboygan, WI | 15° | 79° | 32" | 45" |
| Newfane, NY | 20° | 80° | 33" | 55" |
| Winthrop Harbor, IL | 17° | 81° | 36" | 36" |
| Lorain, OH | 22° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
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 Port Austin averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Port Austin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Port Austin’s place among Michigan’s.
Port Austin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Port Austin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 17° | 2.1" | 15.4" | 16 | 25 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 31° | 17° | 1.8" | 11.2" | 11 | 25 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 39° | 24° | 1.9" | 6.0" | 10 | 17 | 21° – 44° |
| April | 50° | 34° | 3.1" | 1.4" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 62° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 78° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 45° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 13 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.2" | 11.5" | 15 | 15 | 19° – 38° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 32.2" | 47.2" | 140 | 85 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Port Austin’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 Port Austin’s center.
- Snow: Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Port Austin Wwtp, MI, 1.2 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 Port Austin’s climate
What is the weather like in Port Austin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Port Austin in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Port Austin get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Harbor Beach 1 Sse, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 85 days a year.
How hot does it get in Port Austin?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 59°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Port Austin Wwtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Port Austin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 172 frost-free days, at Port Austin Wwtp, MI.
What growing zone is Port Austin 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 Port Austin?
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 Port Austin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Port Austin.
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.