Leiendecker's Inn-Coral Gables · Photo: Teemu08 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Saugatuck gets about 109 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 81°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 85% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Tender plants can go out after about April 28; in half of years the first frost comes by October 21.
A year in Saugatuck at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Saugatuck’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Saugatuck’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Saugatuck feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Holland Tulip City Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Saugatuck’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 109 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bloomingdale, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 143 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Saugatuck
91% 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 Holland Tulip City Airport.
Living with Saugatuck’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 9.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Saugatuck from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Saugatuck and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Saugatuck in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Saugatuck’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saugatuck, MI | 20° | 81° | 36" | 109" |
| Brighton, NY | 18° | 81° | 35" | 102" |
| Richmond Heights, OH | 21° | 82° | 41" | 114" |
| Erie, PA | 20° | 81° | 44" | 104" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
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 Saugatuck averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Saugatuck compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Saugatuck’s place among Michigan’s.
Saugatuck weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Saugatuck’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bloomingdale, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 20° | 2.3" | 35.9" | 17 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 21° | 2.0" | 22.9" | 13 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 28° | 2.1" | 7.9" | 12 | 28° – 51° |
| April | 56° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.7" | 12 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 81° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 12 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 34° | 2.9" | 7.3" | 13 | 34° – 49° |
| December | 37° | 25° | 2.5" | 32.8" | 15 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 41° | 36.4" | 109.0" | 143 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Saugatuck’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 Saugatuck’s center.
- Snow: Bloomingdale, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Holland Tulip City Airport, 8 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 Saugatuck’s climate
What is the weather like in Saugatuck?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 109 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Saugatuck in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 123 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 17°.
How much snow does Saugatuck get?
About 109 inches in a normal winter at Bloomingdale, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Saugatuck?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 62°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Holland Tulip City Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Saugatuck?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 175 frost-free days, at Holland Tulip City Airport.
What growing zone is Saugatuck in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Saugatuck?
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 Saugatuck getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Saugatuck.
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.