Photo: Ajay Suresh · CC BY 4.0Less rain and snow falls on Rochester Hills than on 80% of U.S. towns: 34 inches a year
Nights in January average 17°. Seasons differ by 66°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 73% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 26; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Rochester Hills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rochester Hills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rochester Hills’ place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Rochester Hills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pontiac Wwtp, MI, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rochester Hills’ center in zone 6a: 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pontiac Wwtp, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rochester Hills
90% 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 Pontiac Wwtp, MI.
Living with Rochester Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 59 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rochester Hills from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rochester Hills and its neighbors
Orion Township has the coldest January nights next door (16°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rochester Hills’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester Hills, MI | 17° | 83° | 34" | 36" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| Pleasant Prairie, WI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 36" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Northbrook, IL | 17° | 83° | 38" | 34" |
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 Rochester Hills averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Rochester Hills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rochester Hills’ place among Michigan’s.
Rochester Hills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rochester Hills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pontiac Wwtp, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.1" | 12.1" | 13 | 22 | 15° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 1.8" | 9.0" | 10 | 18 | 13° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.1" | 10 | 7 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 37° | 3.0" | 0.9" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 24° | 2.1" | 8.1" | 12 | 13 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 40° | 33.5" | 36.0" | 130 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rochester Hills’ 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 Rochester Hills’ center.
- Snow: Pontiac Wwtp, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pontiac Wwtp, MI, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Rochester Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Rochester Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rochester Hills in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 135 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 15°.
How much snow does Rochester Hills get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Pontiac Wwtp, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rochester Hills?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Pontiac Wwtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Rochester Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Pontiac Wwtp, MI.
What growing zone is Rochester Hills in?
Zone 6a 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 Rochester Hills?
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 Rochester Hills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rochester Hills.
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.