Fort Michilimackinac · Photo: WMrapids · CC BY-SA 4.0Wawatam Township gets about 80 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 76°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 64°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 98% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 68–76°.
A year in Wawatam Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wawatam Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wawatam Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Wawatam Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wawatam Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 80 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cross Village 1e, MI, falls mostly in January and December. 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 141 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wawatam 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 St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI.
Living with Wawatam Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 33 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wawatam Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 47%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wawatam Township and its neighbors
Carp Lake Township has the coldest January nights next door (12°, 1° colder) and Carp Lake Township the hottest July afternoons (77°, 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 Wawatam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wawatam Township, MI | 13° | 76° | 32" | 80" |
| Green Bay, WI | 13° | 78° | 32" | 56" |
| Alfred, NY | 13° | 78° | 40" | 82" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Swanton, VT | 9° | 80° | 40" | 80" |
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 Wawatam Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Wawatam Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wawatam Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Wawatam Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wawatam Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cross Village 1e, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 13° | 1.8" | 20.9" | 13 | 29 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 12° | 1.2" | 16.9" | 10 | 28 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 37° | 19° | 1.7" | 9.7" | 10 | 22 | 18° – 41° |
| April | 48° | 30° | 2.6" | 5.7" | 11 | 6 | 32° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 76° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 31° | 2.6" | 5.9" | 13 | 6 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 2.2" | 20.2" | 13 | 20 | 18° – 36° |
| Year | 52° | 35° | 31.6" | 79.5" | 141 | 110 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wawatam 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 Wawatam Township’s center.
- Snow: Cross Village 1e, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: St Ignace Mackinac Br, 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 Wawatam Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Wawatam Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 80 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wawatam Township in winter?
February nights average 12°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Wawatam Township get?
About 80 inches in a normal winter at Cross Village 1e, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 110 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wawatam Township?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI.
When is the first and last frost in Wawatam Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 167 frost-free days, at St Ignace Mackinac Br, MI.
What growing zone is Wawatam Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wawatam 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 Wawatam Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wawatam 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.