Precipitation in Rockwood trails that of 77% of U.S. towns: 35 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 20°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 73% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Rockwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rockwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rockwood’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Rockwood 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 27 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newport 4sse, MI, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rockwood’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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wyandotte, MI, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rockwood
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 Newport 4sse, MI.
Living with Rockwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rockwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rockwood and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rockwood in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rockwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwood, MI | 20° | 83° | 35" | 54" |
| Geneseo, NY | 18° | 82° | 34" | 52" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Sandpoint, ID | 23° | 83° | 31" | 62" |
| Carnot-Moon, PA | 21° | 83° | 40" | 44" |
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 Rockwood averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Rockwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rockwood’s place among Michigan’s.
Rockwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rockwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wyandotte, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 20° | 2.3" | 13.9" | 15 | 18 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 22° | 2.0" | 17.0" | 13 | 19 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 45° | 29° | 2.4" | 7.5" | 11 | 8 | 28° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 39° | 3.4" | 1.9" | 13 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 74° | 56° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 48° | 35° | 2.7" | 2.2" | 11 | 2 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 26° | 2.3" | 10.9" | 13 | 10 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 43° | 34.9" | 53.5" | 142 | 57 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rockwood’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 Rockwood’s center.
- Snow: Wyandotte, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newport 4sse, MI, 9 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 Rockwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Rockwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rockwood in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 125 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 17°.
How much snow does Rockwood get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Wyandotte, MI, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rockwood?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 65°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Newport 4sse, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Rockwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Newport 4sse, MI.
What growing zone is Rockwood 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 Rockwood?
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 Rockwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rockwood.
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.