Summer arrives softly in Ruby, cooler than in 83% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. Only 64° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 79% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 19; autumn frost returns near November 3.
A year in Ruby at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ruby’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ruby’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Ruby feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Port Huron, MI, 11 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ruby’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 Port Huron, MI, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. 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 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ruby
89% 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 Port Huron, MI.
Living with Ruby’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ruby from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ruby and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ruby in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ruby’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby, MI | 18° | 82° | 34" | 36" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
| Zion, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 36" |
| Kenosha, WI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 36" |
| Kendallville, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 36" |
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 Ruby averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Ruby compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ruby’s place among Michigan’s.
Ruby weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ruby’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Port Huron, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 18° | 2.4" | 11.1" | 14 | 17 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 19° | 1.9" | 11.4" | 10 | 16 | 11° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 26° | 2.2" | 4.6" | 11 | 7 | 25° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 47° | 33° | 2.7" | 1.3" | 12 | 1 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 36° | 25° | 2.3" | 6.7" | 13 | 9 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 40° | 34.0" | 35.5" | 140 | 50 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ruby’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 Ruby’s center.
- Snow: Port Huron, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Port Huron, MI, 11 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower; 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 Ruby’s climate
What is the weather like in Ruby?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ruby 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 14°.
How much snow does Ruby get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Port Huron, MI, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 50 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ruby?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Port Huron, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Ruby?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 196 frost-free days, at Port Huron, MI.
What growing zone is Ruby in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ruby?
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 Ruby getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ruby.
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.