Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives in force in Detroit, hotter than in 92% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 33°. Seasons differ by 61°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 82% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 20; in half of years the first frost comes by November 10.
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 Texas 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 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clarksville 2ne, TX, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Detroit’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Detroit
57% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Clarksville 2ne, TX.
Living with Detroit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Ice storms are 64% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Detroit from natural hazards, the largest share. 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.
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 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Texas’.
Detroit weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Detroit’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 3.3" | 39° – 50° |
| February | 59° | 37° | 3.7" | 38° – 55° |
| March | 66° | 44° | 4.5" | 50° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 51° | 4.9" | 57° – 68° |
| May | 81° | 60° | 5.6" | 67° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.0" | 75° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 72° | 3.2" | 78° – 89° |
| August | 94° | 71° | 3.0" | 76° – 90° |
| September | 87° | 64° | 3.9" | 71° – 82° |
| October | 77° | 52° | 4.7" | 60° – 70° |
| November | 65° | 42° | 4.2" | 47° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 4.5" | 36° – 51° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 49.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 55°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
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.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clarksville 2ne, TX, 12 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 Detroit’s climate
What is the weather like in Detroit?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 33°. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Detroit in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How hot does it get in Detroit?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 72°. About 72 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Clarksville 2ne, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Detroit?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 233 frost-free days, at Clarksville 2ne, TX.
What growing zone is Detroit in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Detroit?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Detroit getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% 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.