Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Detroit: 77 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 82°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 21 times as much as July. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 83% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 9 to December 3.
A year in Detroit at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Detroit’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Detroit’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Detroit feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 270 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 9 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Detroit Dam, OR, 5 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Detroit’s center in zone 8b: 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Detroit Dam, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 77 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 176 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Detroit
93% 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 Detroit Dam, OR.
Living with Detroit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Detroit from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Detroit and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Detroit yet.
Climates most like Detroit’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, OR | 30° | 82° | 77" | 10" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Sultan, WA | 35° | 76° | 75" | 3.0" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Dahlonega, GA | 30° | 87° | 63" | 3.3" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Detroit averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller 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 Detroit compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Detroit’s place among Oregon’s.
Detroit weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Detroit’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Detroit Dam, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 30° | 11.0" | 5.6" | 20 | 3 | 32° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 31° | 8.6" | 2.2" | 18 | 2 | 33° – 45° |
| March | 53° | 33° | 9.0" | 0.9" | 21 | 1 | 39° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 72° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 82° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| August | 82° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 34° | 11.4" | 0.2" | 20 | 0 | 35° – 46° |
| December | 42° | 30° | 12.7" | 1.3" | 21 | 2 | 30° – 39° |
| Year | 61° | 38° | 76.8" | 10.2" | 176 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Detroit’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 Detroit’s center.
- Snow: Detroit Dam, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Detroit Dam, OR, 5 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower; 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 Detroit’s climate
What is the weather like in Detroit?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Detroit in winter?
December nights average 30°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Detroit get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Detroit Dam, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Detroit?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 50°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Detroit Dam, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Detroit?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 9 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 270 frost-free days, at Detroit Dam, OR.
What growing zone is Detroit in?
Zone 8b 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 Detroit?
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 Detroit getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Detroit.
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.