Photo: Hgjudd · CC BY-SA 3.0Torch Lake Township gets about 91 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Torch Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Torch Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Torch Lake Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Torch Lake Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Old Mission 3ssw, MI, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Torch Lake Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 91 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Northport 2w, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 157 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Torch Lake Township
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 Old Mission 3ssw, MI.
Living with Torch Lake Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Torch Lake Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Torch Lake Township and its neighbors
Central Lake Township has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 3° colder) and Milton Township the hottest July afternoons (81°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Torch Lake Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torch Lake Township, MI | 17° | 78° | 33" | 91" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Cedarburg, WI | 13° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
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 Torch Lake Township averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Torch Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Torch Lake Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Torch Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Torch Lake Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Northport 2w, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 17° | 2.2" | 26.3" | 18 | 29 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 30° | 16° | 1.4" | 19.0" | 14 | 28 | 8° – 33° |
| March | 39° | 23° | 1.8" | 12.6" | 11 | 23 | 21° – 45° |
| April | 51° | 32° | 2.9" | 5.9" | 12 | 6 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 78° | 59° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 42° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 44° | 33° | 2.7" | 6.2" | 16 | 8 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.3" | 21.2" | 17 | 21 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 32.7" | 91.4" | 157 | 114 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Torch Lake Township’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 Torch Lake Township’s center.
- Snow: Northport 2w, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Old Mission 3ssw, MI, 12 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 Torch Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Torch Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Torch Lake Township in winter?
February nights average 16°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Torch Lake Township get?
About 91 inches in a normal winter at Northport 2w, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 114 days a year.
How hot does it get in Torch Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Old Mission 3ssw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Torch Lake Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 158 frost-free days, at Old Mission 3ssw, MI.
What growing zone is Torch Lake Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Torch Lake Township?
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 Torch Lake Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Torch Lake Township.
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.