Walker has cooler summers than 73% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 17°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in October and the lightest in February. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 73% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Walker at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Walker’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Walker’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Walker feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at E Grand Rapids, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Walker’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at E Grand Rapids, MI, is heaviest from January through February, about 22 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 152 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Walker
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at E Grand Rapids, MI.
Living with Walker’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Walker from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Walker and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Walker in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Walker’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker, MI | 17° | 83° | 37" | 75" |
| Ithaca, NY | 17° | 83° | 36" | 63" |
| Medina, OH | 20° | 83° | 39" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Bennington, VT | 13° | 81° | 42" | 75" |
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 Walker averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Walker compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Walker’s place among Michigan’s.
Walker weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Walker’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from E Grand Rapids, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.5" | 21.7" | 18 | 23 | 15° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 18° | 2.0" | 22.3" | 14 | 21 | 13° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 2.3" | 5.3" | 10 | 9 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 2.6" | 14 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 3.1" | 6.0" | 12 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.5" | 17.0" | 16 | 15 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 37.3" | 74.9" | 152 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 50°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Walker’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 Walker’s center.
- Snow: E Grand Rapids, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: E Grand Rapids, MI, 8 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 Walker’s climate
What is the weather like in Walker?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Walker in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Walker get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at E Grand Rapids, MI, heaviest from January through February, about 22 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Walker?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (E Grand Rapids, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Walker?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 157 frost-free days, at E Grand Rapids, MI.
What growing zone is Walker in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Walker?
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 Walker getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Walker.
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.