January in St. Helen bites harder than in 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 80°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 69°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 15 to October 4.
A year in St. Helen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Helen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Helen’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in St. Helen 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, 13 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Helen’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Helen
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 W Branch 3se, MI.
Living with St. Helen’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. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Helen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Helen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Helen yet.
Climates most like St. Helen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helen, MI | 11° | 80° | 33" | 66" |
| Ashwaubenon, WI | 11° | 80° | 33" | 56" |
| Beekmantown, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 80" |
| St. Albans, VT | 9° | 81° | 39" | 80" |
| Stewartville, MN | 6° | 81° | 36" | 53" |
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 St. Helen averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 St. Helen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Helen’s place among Michigan’s.
St. Helen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Helen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 11° | 1.9" | 16.4" | 14 | 29 | 8° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 12° | 1.6" | 13.6" | 11 | 27 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 20° | 1.9" | 8.3" | 11 | 19 | 20° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 3.3" | 4.4" | 12 | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.5" | 14 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 28° | 2.4" | 7.5" | 13 | 7 | 28° – 42° |
| December | 32° | 19° | 2.1" | 15.1" | 14 | 19 | 15° – 35° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 33.1" | 65.9" | 141 | 104 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where St. Helen’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 St. Helen’s center.
- Snow: Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: W Branch 3se, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower; 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 St. Helen’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Helen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Helen in winter?
January nights average 11°. 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 8°.
How much snow does St. Helen get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 104 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Helen?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (W Branch 3se, MI).
When is the first and last frost in St. Helen?
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 St. Helen in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Helen?
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 St. Helen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Helen.
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.