Detroit City, MI Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Detroit City's primary NOAA station, DETROIT CITY AP.
The climate verdict for Detroit City
Detroit City, Michigan has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 51°F. Its climate comfort score of 68/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 56% of station-mapped location scores.
- 51°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 68/100
- comfort score, above 56% of station-mapped location scores
- 29.9"
- annual precipitation
- 193 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Detroit City: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00014822 · Detroit City, MI 51°F mean · 29.9" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 51°F
- RANK-MID #2,882
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Idalia
- PRCP-MID 29.9"
- SWING-WIDE 48°F
- COMF-MID 68/100
- LOAD-HEAT 6,106 HDD
- STN-1 USW00014822
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Idalia, CO (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every MI station list.
- Detroit City (this station) 51°F
- Hot Paxton, IL 51°F
- Near Idalia, CO 51°F
- Near Crook, CO 51°F
- Cold W Lafayette, IN 50°F
Climate Living Index · Detroit City
Detroit City: 60/100 · grade C
Detroit City publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Detroit City, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 68/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 29.9 in · 5.1 from 35 in | 82/100 · B |
| Summer moisture balance | 59.9°F mean dew point | 64/100 · C |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 126 calendar days | 61/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 193 days/year | 59/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 50.5°F · 17.0° from 67.5°F | 43/100 · D |
Detroit City · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Detroit City is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa
Coldest-month mean 26.1°F and warmest-month mean 74.2°F place this station in continental, no dry season, hot summer climates (Dfa). Class Dfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfa
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 74.2°F
- Coldest month
- 26.1°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Detroit City sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Detroit City's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 42nd percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- 40th percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 74%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Detroit City is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Detroit City compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Detroit City's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
68 Top 44% score exceeds 56% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Detroit City's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 70 complete annual observations from 1948 to 2025, DETROIT CITY AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.20°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Detroit City primary station fitted change +0.20 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F (0°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 1.4" | 26.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 35°F (2°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 1.4" | 24.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 45°F (7°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 2.0" | 20.3 | 0.0 |
| April | 58°F (14°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 2.8" | 5.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 3.5" | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 3.1" | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| July | 84°F (29°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 3.2" | 0.0 | 5.8 |
| August | 81°F (27°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 3.1" | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| September | 74°F (24°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 3.1" | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 2.3" | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| November | 48°F (9°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 2.2" | 11.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 37°F (3°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 1.7" | 22.7 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 84°F around July 13, short of 90°F on every date, while 126 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 19°F near January 25.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 27, then returns to freezing around November 23, covering 126 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 12, when 44% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is February 6 at 30%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 126 wet dates a year.
The widest day
May 8 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 20°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Detroit City.
Where Detroit City Stands Nationally
Among the steadiest day-night climates ranked: even the widest normal daily swing holds to roughly 20°F.
Detroit City earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
9.9 days with precipitation
8.6 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
12.1 days with precipitation
13.8 days with precipitation
10.1 days with precipitation
10.3 days with precipitation
9.6 days with precipitation
9.2 days with precipitation
10.9 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
11.1 days with precipitation
Detroit City spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 32% of the annual total and December through February 15%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Detroit City has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 48.1°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 3.5" and February 1.4". The three wettest months together take 33% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
How Detroit City's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 125 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 29.9" between them, or roughly 0.24 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 31
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 21
50% probability date
Growing Season
193 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,106
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
854
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69% | 9.7 | N/A | N/A |
| February | 67% | 9.6 | N/A | N/A |
| March | 63% | 9.5 | N/A | N/A |
| April | 58% | 9.2 | 45% | 25% |
| May | 62% | 8.0 | 47% | 22% |
| June | 61% | 7.4 | 51% | 11% |
| July | 64% | 6.9 | 49% | 11% |
| August | 68% | 6.9 | 52% | 15% |
| September | 69% | 7.8 | N/A | N/A |
| October | 69% | 8.8 | N/A | N/A |
| November | 72% | 9.6 | N/A | N/A |
| December | 74% | 9.7 | N/A | N/A |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside MI closest to Detroit City on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (51°F here).
- Chenoa, IL 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Columbus, NE 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Coos Bay, OR 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Crook, CO 51°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (29.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Courtland, KS 29.9" · 0.0" off
- Clearlake, CA 29.9" · 0.0" off
- Hawarden, IA 29.9" · 0.0" off
- Onawa, IA 29.9" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Detroit City's climate pattern fits together
heating led · moderate · mid swing
Detroit City's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 6,106 annual heating degree days against 854 for cooling. Its 48.1°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Detroit City's frost-free season lasts about 193 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Detroit City's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 48.1°F. The annual average is 51°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Detroit City's 29.9 inches of annual precipitation falls in PlainClimate's middle band, so “wet” or “dry” is not the leading description. Snowfall is not added to the interpretation because its annual value is missing. Temperature balance and the calendar distribution carry more information than the annual moisture label alone.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Detroit City's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. Treat each band as a descriptive range for Detroit City, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Detroit City's climate
How much rain does Detroit City get? ▼
How cold does Detroit City get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Detroit City? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Detroit City's primary station: DETROIT CITY AP (USW00014822). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Detroit City; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Detroit City comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.