West Branch has colder winter nights than 91% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.0° higher. From May to September, highs of 68–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in West Branch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Branch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Branch’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in West Branch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at W Branch 3se, MI, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Branch’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at W Branch 3se, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Branch
96% 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 W Branch 3se, MI.
Living with West Branch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 15 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Branch from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Branch and its neighbors
Ogemaw Township has the coldest January nights next door (11°, 1° 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 West Branch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Branch, MI | 12° | 81° | 33" | 53" |
| Cedarburg, WI | 13° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Inver Grove Heights, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 51" |
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 West Branch averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 West Branch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Branch’s place among Michigan’s.
West Branch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Branch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Branch 3se, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 12° | 1.9" | 14.7" | 13 | 28 | 9° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 12° | 1.6" | 11.7" | 10 | 27 | 7° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 21° | 1.8" | 6.9" | 9 | 17 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 31° | 3.3" | 2.9" | 11 | 2 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 28° | 2.5" | 3.8" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 33° | 19° | 2.1" | 12.6" | 13 | 17 | 16° – 36° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 32.9" | 53.0" | 137 | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where West Branch’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 West Branch’s center.
- Snow: W Branch 3se, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: W Branch 3se, MI, 2.2 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 West Branch’s climate
What is the weather like in West Branch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Branch in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does West Branch get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at W Branch 3se, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 95 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Branch?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (W Branch 3se, MI).
When is the first and last frost in West Branch?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 143 frost-free days, at W Branch 3se, MI.
What growing zone is West Branch in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Branch?
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 West Branch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Branch.
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.