Planter Road-Jackson Creek Bridge · Photo: Sa magnuson33 · CC BY-SA 3.0Wakefield Township gets about 186 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 25 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 77°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 97% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Wakefield Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wakefield Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wakefield Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Wakefield Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ironwood #2, MI, 14 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Ironwood, MI, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wakefield Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 186 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ironwood, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 169 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wakefield Township
97% 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 Ironwood, MI.
Living with Wakefield Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 20 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. 232 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wakefield Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 36%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wakefield Township and its neighbors
Bessemer Township has the coldest January nights next door (3°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wakefield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield Township, MI | 4° | 77° | 36" | 186" |
| Lyndon, VT | 5° | 79° | 41" | 142" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
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 Wakefield Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Wakefield Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wakefield Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Wakefield Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wakefield Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ironwood, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 4° | 2.1" | 43.1" | 18 | 1° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 1.5" | 30.9" | 14 | 4° – 31° |
| March | 37° | 14° | 1.9" | 23.9" | 13 | 15° – 42° |
| April | 49° | 27° | 3.0" | 11.7" | 13 | 29° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 3.6" | 1.9" | 13 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 54° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 67° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 14 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 34° | 3.9" | 6.0" | 16 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 23° | 2.7" | 24.1" | 15 | 20° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 12° | 2.3" | 43.6" | 17 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 36.2" | 185.5" | 169 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Wakefield 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 Wakefield Township’s center.
- Snow: Ironwood, MI.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Ironwood, MI, 16 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Ironwood #2, MI, 14 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Wakefield Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Wakefield Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 186 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 169 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wakefield Township in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 203 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Wakefield Township get?
About 186 inches in a normal winter at Ironwood, MI, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Wakefield Township?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 54°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Ironwood, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Wakefield Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 132 frost-free days, at Ironwood, MI.
What growing zone is Wakefield Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wakefield 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 Wakefield Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wakefield 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.