Carleton, Michigan climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Carleton's normal year runs from 17°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 35.0 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.7°C, January lows of −8°C, July highs of 29°C, 888 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationCarleton (2 mi W)
- Station IDUSC00201250
- Location42.06°N 83.44°W
- Elevation627 ft (191 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population2,302
On October 22, the normal high in Carleton is 60°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Carleton.
- Jan 33° 17°
- Feb 36° 18°
- Mar 46° 27°
- Apr 59° 37°
- May 70° 48°
- Jun 80° 58°
- Jul 84° 62°
- Aug 81° 60°
- Sep 75° 53°
- Oct 62° 42°
- Nov 49° 32°
- Dec 38° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Carleton each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 17°F. The most precipitation falls in May (3.91 in), the least in February (1.92 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 17°F | 24.8°F | 2.18 | – | <1 | 28 | 9 h 30 min |
| February | 36°F | 18°F | 26.6°F | 1.92 | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 46°F | 27°F | 36.3°F | 2.53 | – | <1 | 22 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 37°F | 47.9°F | 3.19 | – | <1 | 8 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 70°F | 48°F | 59.3°F | 3.91 | – | 1 | 1 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 80°F | 58°F | 69.0°F | 3.42 | – | 2 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 84°F | 62°F | 72.7°F | 3.25 | – | 6 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 81°F | 60°F | 70.9°F | 3.43 | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 75°F | 53°F | 63.8°F | 3.38 | – | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 62°F | 42°F | 52.3°F | 2.93 | – | <1 | 4 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 49°F | 32°F | 40.3°F | 2.53 | – | <1 | 17 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 38°F | 24°F | 30.6°F | 2.28 | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 59°F | 40°F | 49.5°F | 34.95 | – | 12 | 130 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −8°C | −4.0°C | 55 mm |
| February | 2°C | −8°C | −3.0°C | 49 mm |
| March | 8°C | −3°C | 2.4°C | 64 mm |
| April | 15°C | 3°C | 8.8°C | 81 mm |
| May | 21°C | 9°C | 15.2°C | 99 mm |
| June | 26°C | 15°C | 20.6°C | 87 mm |
| July | 29°C | 17°C | 22.6°C | 83 mm |
| August | 27°C | 16°C | 21.6°C | 87 mm |
| September | 24°C | 12°C | 17.7°C | 86 mm |
| October | 17°C | 6°C | 11.3°C | 74 mm |
| November | 9°C | 0°C | 4.6°C | 64 mm |
| December | 3°C | −5°C | −0.8°C | 58 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Newport (4 mi SSE) (11 miles away), gets 41 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00201250; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Carleton?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00201250.
When is the last frost in Carleton?
In Carleton, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 27 in half of years and after May 13 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 20 in half of years and before October 4 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 271 year in 10 after May 13; 9 in 10 after April 12
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 201 year in 10 before October 4; 9 in 10 before November 2
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 176 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 199 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 15 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Carleton in zone 6b in ZIP code 48117, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Michigan · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00201250; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Carleton?
In a normal year in Carleton, 12 days a year reach 90°F and 130 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 12a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 130a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 44high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00201250.
How sunny is Carleton?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Carleton, 3.8 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (54%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 59% | 1.6 |
| February | 62% | 2.4 |
| March | 66% | 3.5 |
| April | 68% | 4.7 |
| May | 70% | 5.5 |
| June | 76% | 6.2 |
| July | 80% | 6.2 |
| August | 78% | 5.3 |
| September | 77% | 4.3 |
| October | 68% | 2.8 |
| November | 63% | 1.8 |
| December | 54% | 1.2 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Carleton need?
A normal year in Carleton brings 6,302 heating degree days, 17% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 699 cooling degree days, 23% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,889 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,246 | 0 |
| February | 1,075 | 0 |
| March | 890 | 0 |
| April | 514 | 2 |
| May | 213 | 35 |
| June | 28 | 146 |
| July | 7 | 244 |
| August | 11 | 192 |
| September | 108 | 72 |
| October | 403 | 8 |
| November | 741 | 0 |
| December | 1,066 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,302 | 699 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00201250. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Carleton's climate compare?
Carleton is warmer than 130 of the other 139 places with their own NOAA record in Michigan, and wetter than 79. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 49.5°F is warmer than 38%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Carleton is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Carleton share this climate record?
2 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Flat Rock, MI10,249 people · 9 mi E
- Maybee, MI580 people · 5 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Carleton's climate
What is the coldest month in Carleton?
January, with a normal high of 33°F and a normal low of 17°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 62°F at night).
Does it snow in Carleton?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Carleton's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Newport (4 mi SSE) (11 miles away), records 41 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Carleton?
May, with 3.91 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 1.92 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Carleton in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Carleton in zone 6b in ZIP code 48117, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Carleton?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 27; in one year in ten it comes after May 13. Waiting until May 13 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Michigan climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Monroe, MI11 miles from this station, 49.9°F a year
- Newport (4 mi SSE), MI11 miles from this station, 49.2°F a year
- Milan, MI12 miles from this station, 49.2°F a year
- Detroit, MI13 miles from this station, 50.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made