PEWABIC (propeller) Shipwreck Site · Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Public domainSanborn Township has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
Nights in January average 14°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 65°. In January, nights here are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 5, with the first autumn frost due around October 17.
A year in Sanborn Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sanborn Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sanborn Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Sanborn Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alpena Wwtp, MI, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sanborn Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alpena Wwtp, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 176 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sanborn Township
96% 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 Alpena Wwtp, MI.
Living with Sanborn Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sanborn Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sanborn Township and its neighbors
Caledonia Township has the coldest January nights next door (11°, 2° colder) and Caledonia Township the hottest July afternoons (80°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sanborn 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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanborn Township, MI | 14° | 78° | 31" | 59" |
| Green Bay, WI | 13° | 78° | 32" | 56" |
| Milo, NY | 16° | 80° | 34" | 57" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
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 Sanborn Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Sanborn Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sanborn Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Sanborn Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sanborn Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alpena Wwtp, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 14° | 1.9" | 15.6" | 20 | 26 | 9° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 14° | 1.5" | 14.4" | 16 | 26 | 9° – 31° |
| March | 38° | 21° | 1.8" | 6.2" | 13 | 20 | 20° – 40° |
| April | 50° | 31° | 3.0" | 3.5" | 14 | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 52° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 2.2" | 3.0" | 16 | 3 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 34° | 21° | 2.0" | 16.6" | 17 | 18 | 18° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 36° | 30.9" | 59.4" | 176 | 95 |
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 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sanborn 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 Sanborn Township’s center.
- Snow: Alpena Wwtp, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alpena Wwtp, MI, 11 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 Sanborn Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Sanborn Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sanborn Township in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Sanborn Township get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Alpena Wwtp, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sanborn Township?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Alpena Wwtp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Sanborn Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 163 frost-free days, at Alpena Wwtp, MI.
What growing zone is Sanborn Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sanborn Township?
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 Sanborn Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sanborn Township.
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.