Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Stephenson
Midsummer highs settle at about 80°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 3.4 times as much as February. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Stephenson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stephenson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stephenson’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Stephenson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stephenson 5wsw, MI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stephenson’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marinette, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Stephenson
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 Stephenson 5wsw, MI.
Living with Stephenson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stephenson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stephenson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Stephenson yet.
Climates most like Stephenson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson, MI | 8° | 80° | 31" | 44" |
| Lakeville, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 80° | 34" | 50" |
| Troy, WI | 6° | 82° | 34" | 50" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
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 Stephenson averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Stephenson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stephenson’s place among Michigan’s.
Stephenson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stephenson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marinette, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 1.3" | 11.7" | 10 | 25 | 6° – 27° |
| February | 30° | 9° | 1.1" | 11.1" | 8 | 25 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 19° | 1.6" | 7.6" | 8 | 16 | 19° – 42° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.8" | 3.4" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 2.2" | 1.9" | 9 | 3 | 25° – 42° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.6" | 8.0" | 9 | 16 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 30.8" | 43.8" | 123 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Stephenson’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 Stephenson’s center.
- Snow: Marinette, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stephenson 5wsw, MI, 5 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 Stephenson’s climate
What is the weather like in Stephenson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stephenson in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Stephenson get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Marinette, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Stephenson?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Stephenson 5wsw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Stephenson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 126 frost-free days, at Stephenson 5wsw, MI.
What growing zone is Stephenson in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stephenson?
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 Stephenson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stephenson.
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.