Birch Lodge Hospital and Summer Resort Sanitarium · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Trout Lake Township gets about 99 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 77°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.6° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 67–77°.
A year in Trout Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Trout Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Trout Lake Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Trout Lake Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Trout Lake 1sw, MI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Trout Lake Township’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°
About 99 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Trout Lake 1sw, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October 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 Trout Lake Township
98% 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 Trout Lake 1sw, MI.
Living with Trout Lake Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 21 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 142 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Trout Lake Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Trout Lake Township and its neighbors
Rudyard Township the hottest July afternoons (78°, 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 Trout 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout Lake Township, MI | 8° | 77° | 34" | 99" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
| Malone, NY | 7° | 79° | 41" | 98" |
| Presque Isle, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 98" |
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 Trout Lake Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Trout Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Trout Lake Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Trout Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Trout Lake Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Trout Lake 1sw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 8° | 2.0" | 29.9" | 15 | 30 | 2° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 1.6" | 17.7" | 10 | 28 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 15° | 2.0" | 12.3" | 8 | 24 | 15° – 38° |
| April | 49° | 28° | 2.7" | 3.9" | 10 | 6 | 30° – 45° |
| May | 63° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 36° | 4.2" | 0.5" | 15 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 3.0" | 8.8" | 13 | 5 | 26° – 39° |
| December | 29° | 16° | 2.6" | 25.3" | 14 | 23 | 12° – 32° |
| Year | 51° | 31° | 34.2" | 98.5" | 141 | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Trout 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 Trout Lake Township’s center.
- Snow: Trout Lake 1sw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Trout Lake 1sw, MI, 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 Trout Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Trout Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 99 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Trout Lake Township in winter?
February nights average 7°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Trout Lake Township get?
About 99 inches in a normal winter at Trout Lake 1sw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 116 days a year.
How hot does it get in Trout Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Trout Lake 1sw, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Trout Lake Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 131 frost-free days, at Trout Lake 1sw, MI.
What growing zone is Trout Lake Township 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 Trout Lake Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Trout Lake Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Trout 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.