Precipitation in Shields trails that of 83% of U.S. towns: 33 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 67°. In January, nights here are colder than in 80% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Shields at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shields’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shields’ place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Shields feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saginaw Mbs International Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shields’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Saginaw Mbs International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shields
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 Saginaw Mbs International Airport.
Living with Shields’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shields from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shields and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Shields in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Shields’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shields, MI | 16° | 83° | 33" | 49" |
| Geneseo, NY | 18° | 82° | 34" | 52" |
| Franklin, WI | 14° | 82° | 35" | 49" |
| Antioch, IL | 15° | 83° | 36" | 43" |
| Chesterton, IN | 17° | 83° | 38" | 40" |
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 Shields averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Shields compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shields’ place among Michigan’s.
Shields weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shields’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saginaw Mbs International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | 2.0" | 13.9" | 13 | 21 | 12° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 1.7" | 11.4" | 10 | 19 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 1.9" | 6.0" | 10 | 9 | 25° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.4" | 2.4" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.3" | 3.3" | 12 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 1.9" | 11.8" | 12 | 13 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 32.6" | 49.0" | 133 | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Shields’ 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 Shields’ center.
- Snow: Saginaw Mbs International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saginaw Mbs International 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 Shields’ climate
What is the weather like in Shields?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shields in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Shields get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Saginaw Mbs International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 65 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shields?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Saginaw Mbs International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Shields?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 172 frost-free days, at Saginaw Mbs International Airport.
What growing zone is Shields in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shields?
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 Shields getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shields.
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.