Skidway Lake has colder winter nights than 90% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 69°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 86% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 15; in half of years the first frost comes by October 4.
A year in Skidway Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Skidway Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Skidway Lake’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Skidway Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at W Branch 3se, MI, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Skidway Lake’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at W Branch 3se, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Skidway Lake
96% 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 W Branch 3se, MI.
Living with Skidway Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 15 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Skidway Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Skidway Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Skidway Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Skidway Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skidway Lake, MI | 13° | 81° | 32" | 53" |
| Cedarburg, WI | 13° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Antioch, IL | 15° | 83° | 36" | 43" |
| Eagan, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 51" |
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 Skidway Lake averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Skidway Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Skidway Lake’s place among Michigan’s.
Skidway Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Skidway Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Branch 3se, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 13° | 1.8" | 14.7" | 13 | 28 | 9° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 13° | 1.5" | 11.7" | 10 | 27 | 8° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 21° | 1.8" | 6.9" | 9 | 17 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 3.3" | 2.9" | 11 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 2.4" | 3.8" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 1.9" | 12.6" | 13 | 17 | 16° – 36° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 31.9" | 53.0" | 137 | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Skidway Lake’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 Skidway Lake’s center.
- Snow: W Branch 3se, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: W Branch 3se, MI, 9 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 Skidway Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Skidway Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Skidway Lake in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Skidway Lake get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at W Branch 3se, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in Skidway Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (W Branch 3se, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Skidway Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 143 frost-free days, at W Branch 3se, MI.
What growing zone is Skidway Lake in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Skidway Lake?
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 Skidway Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Skidway Lake.
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.