Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Ypsilanti than on 81% of U.S. towns: 33 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 84°. The wettest month is May; the driest is February. Its January nights bite harder than in 76% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Ypsilanti at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ypsilanti’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ypsilanti’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Ypsilanti feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ypsilanti’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 61 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ypsilanti
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 Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI.
Living with Ypsilanti’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ypsilanti from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ypsilanti and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ypsilanti in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ypsilanti’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ypsilanti, MI | 17° | 84° | 33" | 61" |
| Ithaca, NY | 17° | 83° | 36" | 63" |
| Franklin, WI | 14° | 82° | 35" | 49" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| West Chicago, IL | 15° | 84° | 38" | 46" |
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 Ypsilanti averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Ypsilanti compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ypsilanti’s place among Michigan’s.
Ypsilanti weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ypsilanti’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.0" | 18.3" | 18 | 21 | 15° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.9" | 15.3" | 14 | 17 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.3" | 8.3" | 14 | 7 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.2" | 2.6" | 14 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.5" | 4.1" | 14 | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.0" | 12.7" | 17 | 12 | 17° – 39° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 33.2" | 61.4" | 166 | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ypsilanti’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 Ypsilanti’s center.
- Snow: Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI, 4 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 Ypsilanti’s climate
What is the weather like in Ypsilanti?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ypsilanti in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Ypsilanti get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 59 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ypsilanti?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Ypsilanti?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 160 frost-free days, at Ann Arbor U Of Mich, MI.
What growing zone is Ypsilanti in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ypsilanti?
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 Ypsilanti getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ypsilanti.
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.