Detroit, Michigan climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Detroit's normal year runs from 19°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 34.3 inches of precipitation and 45 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.3°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 29°C, 872 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationDetroit Metro Airport
- Station IDUSW00094847
- Location42.23°N 83.33°W
- Elevation631 ft (192 m)
- From the center16 miles
- Population645,705
On October 22, the normal high in Detroit is 59°F and the normal low 42°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 35%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Detroit.
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 35° 21°
- Mar 46° 29°
- Apr 59° 39°
- May 70° 50°
- Jun 80° 60°
- Jul 84° 64°
- Aug 81° 63°
- Sep 74° 56°
- Oct 62° 44°
- Nov 49° 34°
- Dec 37° 25°
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 Detroit each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 19°F. The most precipitation falls in May (3.72 in), the least in February (2.08 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 19°F | 25.8°F | 2.23 | 14.0 | 13 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 35°F | 21°F | 28.0°F | 2.08 | 12.5 | 11 | <1 | 25 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 46°F | 29°F | 37.2°F | 2.43 | 6.2 | 11 | <1 | 21 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 39°F | 48.9°F | 3.26 | 1.5 | 13 | <1 | 6 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 70°F | 50°F | 60.3°F | 3.72 | 0.0 | 13 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 80°F | 60°F | 69.9°F | 3.26 | 0.0 | 11 | 3 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| July | 84°F | 64°F | 74.1°F | 3.51 | 0.0 | 11 | 5 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 81°F | 63°F | 72.3°F | 3.26 | 0.0 | 10 | 3 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 74°F | 56°F | 64.9°F | 3.22 | 0.0 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 62°F | 44°F | 53.0°F | 2.53 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | 2 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 49°F | 34°F | 41.2°F | 2.57 | 1.9 | 11 | <1 | 14 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 37°F | 25°F | 31.3°F | 2.25 | 8.9 | 13 | <1 | 24 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 59°F | 42°F | 50.6°F | 34.32 | 45.0 | 136 | 13 | 120 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −7°C | −3.4°C | 57 mm | 36 cm |
| February | 2°C | −6°C | −2.2°C | 53 mm | 32 cm |
| March | 8°C | −2°C | 2.9°C | 62 mm | 16 cm |
| April | 15°C | 4°C | 9.4°C | 83 mm | 4 cm |
| May | 21°C | 10°C | 15.7°C | 94 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 27°C | 16°C | 21.1°C | 83 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 29°C | 18°C | 23.4°C | 89 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 27°C | 17°C | 22.4°C | 83 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 24°C | 13°C | 18.3°C | 82 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 17°C | 7°C | 11.7°C | 64 mm | 0 cm |
| November | 9°C | 1°C | 5.1°C | 65 mm | 5 cm |
| December | 3°C | −4°C | −0.4°C | 57 mm | 23 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094847; 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 Detroit?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (10).
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 USW00094847.
When is the last frost in Detroit?
In Detroit, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 20 in half of years and after May 8 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 27 in half of years and before October 14 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 201 year in 10 after May 8; 9 in 10 after April 6
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 271 year in 10 before October 14; 9 in 10 before November 9
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 188 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 212 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 8 in half of springs and before November 7 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Detroit in zone 6b across its 28 ZIP code areas (6b in 48228, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Detroit's NOAA station is in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −4°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Michigan · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00094847; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Detroit ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Detroit's 28 ZIP code areas are all in zone 6b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
| ZIP code | Zone | Land in Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| 48201 | 6b | 4.9 km² |
| 48202 | 6b | 8.7 km² |
| 48203 | 6b | 13.6 km² |
| 48204 | 6b | 13.0 km² |
| 48205 | 6b | 16.4 km² |
| 48206 | 6b | 8.0 km² |
| 48207 | 6b | 16.3 km² |
| 48208 | 6b | 8.3 km² |
| 48209 | 6b | 17.6 km² |
| 48210 | 6b | 12.8 km² |
| 48211 | 6b | 10.0 km² |
| 48212 | 6b | 9.3 km² |
| 48213 | 6b | 16.9 km² |
| 48214 | 6b | 13.1 km² |
| 48215 | 6b | 10.2 km² |
| 48216 | 6b | 5.9 km² |
| 48217 | 6b | 6.0 km² |
| 48219 | 6b | 21.8 km² |
| 48221 | 6b | 13.4 km² |
| 48223 | 6b | 15.7 km² |
| 48224 | 6b | 14.9 km² |
| 48226 | 6b | 3.1 km² |
| 48227 | 6b | 19.4 km² |
| 48228 | 6b | 23.1 km² |
| 48234 | 6b | 20.2 km² |
| 48235 | 6b | 16.2 km² |
| 48238 | 6b | 14.0 km² |
| 48239 | 6b | 4.9 km² |
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Detroit?
In a normal year in Detroit, 13 days a year reach 90°F, 120 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 136 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 13a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 120a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 42high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 136a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 14a normal year
The highest temperature in Detroit's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1874) is 105°F, on July 24, 1934; the lowest is −21°F, on January 21, 1984.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2011, with 47.70 in; the snowiest season is 2013–14, with 94.9 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00094847; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record DTWthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Detroit, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 61°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 61°F; the driest air comes in January (18°F). December is the windiest month (10.6 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (37%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | 72% | 63% | 10.3 mph | 19% | 59% |
| February | 22°F | 69% | 57% | 10.0 mph | 23% | 50% |
| March | 30°F | 62% | 47% | 10.0 mph | 24% | 46% |
| April | 40°F | 58% | 45% | 9.4 mph | 29% | 36% |
| May | 52°F | 64% | 49% | 8.2 mph | 28% | 33% |
| June | 60°F | 65% | 49% | 8.0 mph | 29% | 22% |
| July | 61°F | 67% | 51% | 7.2 mph | 34% | 20% |
| August | 60°F | 70% | 52% | 7.0 mph | 37% | 24% |
| September | 49°F | 71% | 52% | 8.1 mph | 36% | 28% |
| October | 37°F | 69% | 54% | 9.7 mph | 22% | 48% |
| November | 28°F | 73% | 63% | 10.4 mph | 14% | 62% |
| December | 22°F | 75% | 66% | 10.6 mph | 14% | 66% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094847. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Detroit?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Detroit, 3.8 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (54%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 416th (with 11 others) in sunshine.
| 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 Detroit need?
A normal year in Detroit brings 6,067 heating degree days, 13% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 847 cooling degree days, 7% 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 3,114 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,217 | 0 |
| February | 1,036 | 0 |
| March | 861 | 1 |
| April | 488 | 5 |
| May | 198 | 50 |
| June | 28 | 177 |
| July | 2 | 283 |
| August | 7 | 233 |
| September | 91 | 90 |
| October | 382 | 10 |
| November | 713 | 0 |
| December | 1,046 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,067 | 847 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094847. 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.
Has Detroit been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 51.0°F, 0.4°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 50.6°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52.6°F | +2.0°F | 39.99 | 42.2 |
| 2022 | 51.1°F | +0.5°F | 24.31 | 44.2 |
| 2023 | 52.5°F | +1.9°F | 36.65 | 32.1 |
| 2024 | 54.0°F | +3.4°F | 32.46 | 26.4 |
| 2025 | 51.0°F | +0.4°F | 29.81 | 40.1 |
Over 165 complete years from 1852 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 1.8°F per century (+0.10°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00094847; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Detroit's climate compare?
Detroit is warmer than 137 of the other 139 places with their own NOAA record in Michigan, and wetter than 64. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 50.6°F is warmer than 43%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Detroit 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 Detroit share this climate record?
11 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.
- Westland, MIalso near: Dearborn (7 mi, 49.5°F a year); Farmington (10 mi, 47.6°F a year)82,745 people · 7 mi NW
- Taylor, MIalso near: Dearborn (7 mi, 49.5°F a year); Carleton (14 mi, 49.5°F a year)61,544 people · 3 mi E
- Southgate, MI29,081 people · 7 mi E
- Inkster, MI25,108 people · 4 mi N
- Romulus, MI24,652 people · 2 mi W
- Trenton, MI17,957 people · 9 mi SE
- Wayne, MI17,129 people · 4 mi NW
- Woodhaven, MI12,575 people · 8 mi SE
- Riverview, MI12,011 people · 8 mi SE
- Gibraltar, MI4,819 people · 11 mi SE
- Belleville, MI3,874 people · 8 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Detroit's other NOAA stations record?
2 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Detroit. This page uses Detroit Metro Airport; the others differ by site and elevation:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit City Airport USW00014822 | 5 mi E | 626 ft | 50.5°F | 20°F | 84°F | 29.9 | – | April 21 |
| Detroit Willow Run Airport USW00014853 | 24 mi SW | 777 ft | 51.4°F | 20°F | 86°F | 30.2 | – | April 24 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Detroit's climate
What is the coldest month in Detroit?
January, with a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 19°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow in Detroit?
Yes: 45 inches in a normal year, falling on 38 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (14.0 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Detroit?
May, with 3.72 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.08 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Detroit in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Detroit in zone 6b across its 28 ZIP code areas (6b in 48228, the largest). By the same method at Detroit's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −4°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 6b.
How late can frost come in Detroit?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 20; in one year in ten it comes after May 8. Waiting until May 8 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Detroit in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Michigan climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Dearborn, MI7 miles from this station, 49.5°F a year
- Carleton, MI13 miles from this station, 49.5°F a year
- Farmington, MI16 miles from this station, 47.6°F a year
- Ann Arbor University of Michigan, MI17 miles from this station, 48.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made