January in Wise Township bites harder than in 85% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 68°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 83% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 30 to October 20.
A year in Wise Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wise Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wise Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Wise Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Central Michigan Univ, MI, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wise Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gladwin, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wise Township
91% 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 Central Michigan Univ, MI.
Living with Wise Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wise Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wise Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wise Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Township, MI | 15° | 83° | 32" | 49" |
| Franklin, WI | 14° | 82° | 35" | 49" |
| Bath, NY | 15° | 82° | 35" | 48" |
| Antioch, IL | 15° | 83° | 36" | 43" |
| Grimes, IA | 13° | 85° | 36" | 38" |
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 Wise Township averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 79% 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 Wise Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wise Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Wise Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wise Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gladwin, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 15° | 2.0" | 13.8" | 12 | 27 | 11° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 15° | 1.6" | 11.4" | 9 | 26 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 2.0" | 6.7" | 9 | 15 | 22° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.5" | 2.8" | 11 | 2 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 54° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 58° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 30° | 2.3" | 2.8" | 11 | 4 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 21° | 1.9" | 10.6" | 11 | 16 | 18° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 32.4" | 48.5" | 124 | 91 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wise 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 Wise Township’s center.
- Snow: Gladwin, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Central Michigan Univ, MI, 14 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 Wise Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Wise Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wise Township in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Wise Township get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Gladwin, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 91 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wise Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 58°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Central Michigan Univ, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Wise Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 171 frost-free days, at Central Michigan Univ, MI.
What growing zone is Wise Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wise Township?
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 Wise Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wise 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.