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Climate in Rudyard Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Rudyard Township gets about 94 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns

Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 78°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 24; autumn frost returns near October 1.

More snow than 97% of U.S. towns#83Snowiest  of 718 in MI
Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns#19 coldest of 727 in MI
All MI rankings →

A year in Rudyard Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan24°8° 24" snow
Feb26°7° 16" snow
Mar37°16° 13" snow
Apr49°28° 6" snow
May64°40° Last frost ~May 24
Jun74°49° 1 day 90°+
Jul78°54° 1 day 90°+
Aug76°54° 1 day 90°+
Sep68°46°
Oct54°36° First frost ~Oct 1Wettest
Nov now41°26° 13" snow
Dec30°16° 22" snow

What stands out about Rudyard Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rudyard Township’s place in Michigan beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Rudyard Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
27° / 10°
31 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
50° / 28°
Last frost around May 24
Summer
76° / 52°
3 days reach 90°
Fall
55° / 36°
First frost around Oct 1
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 127 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rudyard 4n, MI, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

181
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
21st most of 727 in Michigan
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns
26
nights at or below 0°
19th most of 727 in Michigan
More nights at or below 0° than 96% of U.S. towns
3
days that reach 90°
34th fewest of 727 in Michigan
Fewer 90° days than 95% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Rudyard Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

1.2
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 94 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Rudyard 4n, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 145 days a year.

34"
Rain + melted snow a year
224th driest of 727 in Michigan
Drier than 80% of U.S. towns
94"
Snow in a normal winter
83rd snowiest of 718 in Michigan
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns
136 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
14th most of 582 in Michigan
More days with snow on the ground than all but 60 U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.1"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

24"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Rudyard Township

97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

8,372 heating degree daysMore heating than 98% of U.S. towns
231 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rudyard 4n, MI.

Living here

Living with Rudyard Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

127 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 1.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.7 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rudyard Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Rudyard Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Rudyard Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Chippewa Township: January low 8°, July high 76°Superior Township: January low 7°, July high 76°Dafter Township: January low 7°, July high 78°Moran Township: January low 10°, July high 76°Brevort Township: January low 9°, July high 77°Hendricks Township: January low 9°, July high 76°Bruce Township: January low 7°, July high 78°Raber Township: January low 8°, July high 78°Clark Township: January low 10°, July high 76°Soo Township: January low 9°, July high 76°St. Ignace Township: January low 11°, July high 75°Kinross Township: January low 7°, July high 77°Trout Lake Township: January low 8°, July high 77°Pickford Township: January low 8°, July high 78°Marquette Township: January low 10°, July high 76°Rudyard Township: January low 8°, July high 78°Rudyard TownshipKinross TownshipTrout Lake TownshipPickford TownshipMarquette Township
ColderMilder7° to 11°
Kinross Township7.3° about the same
Rudyard Township7.5°
Trout Lake Township7.7° about the same
Pickford Township8.0° about the same
Marquette Township10.2° +2.7°

Climates most like Rudyard 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Rudyard Township, MI8°78°34"94"
Beekmantown, NY9°80°35"80"
Rhinelander, WI3°78°33"82"
Hermantown, MN2°77°31"90"
St. Johnsbury, VT5°79°41"87"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Rudyard Township averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.5°now 19°, was 16°
Spring+1.4°now 39°, was 37°
Summer+1.6°now 64°, was 63°
Fall+1.4°now 45°, was 44°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Rudyard Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rudyard Township’s place among Michigan’s.

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns39th coolest of 727 in Michigan
Winter cold8° January low
Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns19th coldest of 727 in Michigan
Precipitation34" a year
Drier than 80% of U.S. towns224th driest of 727 in Michigan
Snow94" a winter
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns83rd snowiest of 718 in Michigan
Hot days3 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 95% of U.S. towns34th fewest of 727 in Michigan
Freezing nights181 a year
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns21st most of 727 in Michigan
Growing season127 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 98% of U.S. towns18th shortest of 727 in Michigan
Month by month

Rudyard Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rudyard Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rudyard 4n, MI. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January24°8°2.0"24.2"15312° – 25°
February26°7°1.5"15.6"11291° – 29°
March37°16°1.8"12.6"102915° – 38°
April49°28°2.6"6.1"101231° – 46°
May64°40°2.7"0.1"10046° – 58°
June74°49°3.0"0.0"11058° – 66°
July78°54°3.2"0.0"12059° – 70°
August76°54°3.2"0.0"9061° – 69°
September68°46°3.7"0.0"13051° – 63°
October54°36°4.1"1.2"15041° – 51°
November41°26°3.0"12.7"141126° – 40°
December30°16°2.5"21.6"152412° – 33°
Year52°32°33.5"94.1"145136
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Rudyard 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 Rudyard Township’s center.
  • Snow: Rudyard 4n, MI.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rudyard 4n, MI, 6 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 Rudyard Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Rudyard Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 94 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Rudyard Township in winter?

February nights average 7°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.

How much snow does Rudyard Township get?

About 94 inches in a normal winter at Rudyard 4n, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 136 days a year.

How hot does it get in Rudyard Township?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Rudyard 4n, MI).

When is the first and last frost in Rudyard Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 127 frost-free days, at Rudyard 4n, MI.

What growing zone is Rudyard Township in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.

What is the best time of year to visit Rudyard Township?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Rudyard Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rudyard Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.