Shaftsburg has colder winter nights than 80% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 1 to October 13.
A year in Shaftsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shaftsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shaftsburg’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Shaftsburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lansing Capital City Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shaftsburg’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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Williamston 3ne, MI, falls mostly in January. 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 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shaftsburg
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 Lansing Capital City Airport.
Living with Shaftsburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 30% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shaftsburg from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shaftsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shaftsburg yet.
Climates most like Shaftsburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaftsburg, MI | 16° | 82° | 35" | 46" |
| Corning, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 47" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
| Sturtevant, WI | 15° | 82° | 35" | 41" |
| Chesterton, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 40" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Shaftsburg averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Shaftsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shaftsburg’s place among Michigan’s.
Shaftsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shaftsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williamston 3ne, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | 2.2" | 14.4" | 11 | 25 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 1.8" | 9.3" | 8 | 20 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 5.8" | 9 | 9 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.3" | 1.0" | 9 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.5" | 2.4" | 11 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 2.0" | 12.4" | 12 | 16 | 17° – 39° |
| Year | 57° | 38° | 34.5" | 45.6" | 117 | 71 |
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 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Shaftsburg’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 Shaftsburg’s center.
- Snow: Williamston 3ne, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lansing Capital City Airport, 14 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 Shaftsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Shaftsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shaftsburg in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Shaftsburg get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Williamston 3ne, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shaftsburg?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Lansing Capital City Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Shaftsburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 162 frost-free days, at Lansing Capital City Airport.
What growing zone is Shaftsburg 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 Shaftsburg?
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 Shaftsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shaftsburg.
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.