Whitefish Point Lighthouse · Photo: Browermd · CC BY-SA 3.0Whitefish Township gets about 170 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 36 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 74° on average. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 67°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Homes need heating from October to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Whitefish Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Whitefish Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Whitefish Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Whitefish Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 204 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 28 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Whitefish Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 170 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Whitefish 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 Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI.
Living with Whitefish Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 95 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 458 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Whitefish Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Whitefish Township and its neighbors
Hulbert 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 Whitefish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish Township, MI | 8° | 74° | 35" | 170" |
| Morristown, VT | 7° | 78° | 43" | 139" |
| Caribou, ME | 2° | 77° | 41" | 118" |
| Wilna, NY | 8° | 79° | 42" | 127" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 Whitefish Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
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 Whitefish Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Whitefish Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Whitefish Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Whitefish Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 8° | 2.6" | 46.1" | 19 | 31 | 3° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 8° | 1.9" | 36.5" | 15 | 29 | 0° – 29° |
| March | 34° | 15° | 2.0" | 16.3" | 10 | 29 | 12° – 36° |
| April | 46° | 27° | 2.6" | 9.7" | 9 | 15 | 28° – 43° |
| May | 60° | 37° | 2.6" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 74° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 66° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 36° | 4.3" | 1.2" | 15 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 3.1" | 17.2" | 14 | 10 | 26° – 39° |
| December | 29° | 16° | 2.9" | 42.7" | 16 | 25 | 13° – 33° |
| Year | 49° | 31° | 34.8" | 169.9" | 149 | 138 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Whitefish 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 Whitefish Township’s center.
- Snow: Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI, 5 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 Whitefish Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Whitefish Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 170 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 179 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Whitefish Township in winter?
February nights average 8°. About 204 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 0°.
How much snow does Whitefish Township get?
About 170 inches in a normal winter at Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 138 days a year.
How hot does it get in Whitefish Township?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 52°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Whitefish Township?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Tahquamenon Falls Sp, MI, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 204 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 95 days.
What growing zone is Whitefish Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Whitefish 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 Whitefish Township 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 Whitefish 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.