Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Traverse City gets about 101 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.5° higher. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Traverse City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Traverse City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Traverse City’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Traverse City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Traverse City’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 101 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Traverse City Munson, MI, falls mostly in January. 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 168 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Traverse City
93% 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 Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport.
Living with Traverse City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Traverse City from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Traverse City and its neighbors
East Bay Township has the coldest January nights next door (15°, 2° colder) and East Bay Township the hottest July afternoons (80°, 2° 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 Traverse City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
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 Traverse City averaged 2.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in all but 66 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 Traverse City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Traverse City’s place among Michigan’s.
Traverse City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Traverse City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Traverse City Munson, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 17° | 2.0" | 32.3" | 21 | 28 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 30° | 17° | 1.3" | 21.4" | 16 | 27 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 1.8" | 12.3" | 12 | 20 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 52° | 32° | 2.9" | 4.7" | 13 | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 44° | 32° | 2.6" | 5.6" | 15 | 5 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.1" | 24.6" | 18 | 20 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 31.5" | 101.0" | 168 | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Traverse City’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 Traverse City’s center.
- Snow: Traverse City Munson, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, 1.4 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 Traverse City’s climate
What is the weather like in Traverse City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 101 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Traverse City in winter?
February nights average 17°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Traverse City get?
About 101 inches in a normal winter at Traverse City Munson, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 103 days a year.
How hot does it get in Traverse City?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Traverse City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 155 frost-free days, at Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport.
What growing zone is Traverse City 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 Traverse City?
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 Traverse City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 66 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Traverse City.
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.