Alpena Bathhouse and Swimming Pool · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Alpena
Sunny July days climb to about 86°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Alpena at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpena’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpena’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Alpena feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wessington Springs, SD, 12 miles from the town’s center, 400 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpena’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wessington Springs, SD, falls mostly in January, April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alpena
92% 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 Wessington Springs, SD.
Living with Alpena’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 2 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpena from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpena and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alpena yet.
Climates most like Alpena’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena, SD | 7° | 86° | 24" | 45" |
| Sioux City, IA | 10° | 86° | 29" | 36" |
| Norfolk, NE | 12° | 86° | 28" | 30" |
| Redwood Falls, MN | 6° | 83° | 29" | 44" |
| Mandan, ND | 3° | 84° | 18" | 51" |
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 Alpena averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Alpena compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpena’s place among South Dakota’s.
Alpena weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpena’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wessington Springs, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 7° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 5 | 20 | 6° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 11° | 0.7" | 7.3" | 5 | 14 | 5° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 22° | 1.1" | 6.4" | 6 | 10 | 22° – 48° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 2.7" | 8.2" | 8 | 3 | 36° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 86° | 62° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 36° | 2.0" | 1.7" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 44° | 22° | 0.8" | 5.3" | 4 | 5 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 31° | 12° | 0.6" | 8.1" | 5 | 16 | 8° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 35° | 23.7" | 44.5" | 84 | 68 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Alpena’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 Alpena’s center.
- Snow: Wessington Springs, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wessington Springs, SD, 12 miles from the town’s center, 400 ft higher; 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 Alpena’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpena?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpena in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Alpena get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Wessington Springs, SD, most of it in January, April and December, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alpena?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 62°. About 23 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Wessington Springs, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Alpena?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 157 frost-free days, at Wessington Springs, SD.
What growing zone is Alpena in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpena?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alpena getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpena.
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.