Photo: Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0Suttons Bay gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 171 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 77°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Suttons Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Suttons Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Suttons Bay’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Suttons Bay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Suttons Bay’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 115 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Suttons Bay
94% 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 Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
Living with Suttons Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 58% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Suttons Bay from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Suttons Bay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Suttons Bay yet.
Climates most like Suttons Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suttons Bay, MI | 16° | 77° | 32" | 115" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| North Madison, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 114" |
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 Suttons Bay averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 96% 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 Suttons Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Suttons Bay’s place among Michigan’s.
Suttons Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Suttons Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 16° | 2.1" | 32.0" | 18 | 28 | 12° – 31° |
| February | 29° | 16° | 1.4" | 22.3" | 13 | 27 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 39° | 22° | 1.9" | 13.4" | 10 | 19 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 50° | 32° | 2.8" | 6.8" | 12 | 4 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 63° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 77° | 59° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 76° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 69° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 43° | 32° | 2.7" | 10.4" | 14 | 7 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 33° | 23° | 2.2" | 29.3" | 16 | 20 | 20° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 37° | 32.0" | 114.5" | 149 | 105 |
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 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Suttons Bay’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 Suttons Bay’s center.
- Snow: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 Suttons Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Suttons Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Suttons Bay in winter?
February nights average 16°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Suttons Bay get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in Suttons Bay?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Suttons Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 182 frost-free days, at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI.
What growing zone is Suttons Bay in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Suttons Bay?
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 Suttons Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Suttons Bay.
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.