Houghton Lake, Michigan climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Houghton Lake's normal year runs from 11°F January nights to 81°F July afternoons, with 29.6 inches of precipitation and 66 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.7°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 27°C, 752 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationHoughton Lake Roscommon County Airport
- Station IDUSW00094814
- Location44.36°N 84.67°W
- Elevation1,151 ft (351 m)
- Population (census place)5,761
On October 23, the normal high in Houghton Lake is 54°F and the normal low 35°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 44%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Houghton Lake.
- Jan 27° 11°
- Feb 30° 11°
- Mar 40° 19°
- Apr 54° 31°
- May 67° 42°
- Jun 77° 51°
- Jul 81° 55°
- Aug 78° 53°
- Sep 71° 46°
- Oct 57° 37°
- Nov 43° 28°
- Dec 32° 19°
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 Houghton Lake each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 81°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 11°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.22 in), the least in February (1.41 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 | 27°F | 11°F | 19.1°F | 1.70 | 16.4 | 14 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 30°F | 11°F | 20.3°F | 1.41 | 13.6 | 11 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 40°F | 19°F | 29.7°F | 1.78 | 8.3 | 11 | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 54°F | 31°F | 42.2°F | 3.10 | 4.4 | 12 | <1 | 18 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 67°F | 42°F | 54.7°F | 3.15 | 0.1 | 12 | <1 | 4 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 77°F | 51°F | 63.9°F | 3.22 | 0.0 | 11 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 81°F | 55°F | 67.8°F | 2.74 | 0.0 | 10 | 2 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 78°F | 53°F | 65.8°F | 2.86 | 0.0 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 71°F | 46°F | 58.3°F | 2.59 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 57°F | 37°F | 46.8°F | 3.08 | 0.5 | 14 | <1 | 10 | 11 h |
| November | 43°F | 28°F | 35.5°F | 2.20 | 7.5 | 13 | <1 | 21 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 32°F | 19°F | 25.6°F | 1.76 | 15.1 | 14 | <1 | 29 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 34°F | 44.1°F | 29.59 | 65.9 | 141 | 4 | 169 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −11°C | −7.2°C | 43 mm | 42 cm |
| February | −1°C | −12°C | −6.5°C | 36 mm | 35 cm |
| March | 5°C | −7°C | −1.3°C | 45 mm | 21 cm |
| April | 12°C | −1°C | 5.7°C | 79 mm | 11 cm |
| May | 20°C | 6°C | 12.6°C | 80 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 25°C | 11°C | 17.7°C | 82 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 27°C | 13°C | 19.9°C | 70 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 26°C | 12°C | 18.8°C | 73 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 21°C | 8°C | 14.6°C | 66 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 14°C | 3°C | 8.2°C | 78 mm | 1 cm |
| November | 6°C | −2°C | 1.9°C | 56 mm | 19 cm |
| December | 0°C | −7°C | −3.6°C | 45 mm | 38 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094814; 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 Houghton Lake?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, August 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 USW00094814.
When is the last frost in Houghton Lake?
In Houghton Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 19 in half of years and after June 3 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 23 in half of years and before September 6 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
- May 191 year in 10 after June 3; 9 in 10 after April 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 231 year in 10 before September 6; 9 in 10 before October 7
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 125 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 154 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 4 in half of springs and before October 5 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Houghton Lake in zone 5a in ZIP code 48629. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Houghton Lake's NOAA station is in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −16°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 USW00094814; 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.
How hot and how cold does it get in Houghton Lake?
In a normal year in Houghton Lake, 4 days a year reach 90°F, 169 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 141 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 4a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 169a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 71high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 141a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 22a normal year
The highest temperature in Houghton Lake's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1913) is 107°F, on June 1, 1934; the lowest is −48°F, on February 1, 1918.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1951, with 41.34 in; the snowiest season is 1970–71, with 124.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00094814; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record HTLthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Houghton Lake, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 57°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 58°F; the driest air comes in January (15°F). February is the windiest month (8.9 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (62%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°F | 77% | 68% | 8.4 mph | 29% | 59% |
| February | 17°F | 69% | 59% | 8.9 mph | 40% | 48% |
| March | 26°F | 66% | 48% | 8.5 mph | 46% | 40% |
| April | 34°F | 59% | 41% | 8.5 mph | 53% | 32% |
| May | 48°F | 66% | 45% | 7.4 mph | 57% | 24% |
| June | 57°F | 69% | 49% | 6.8 mph | 62% | 18% |
| July | 58°F | 72% | 50% | 6.2 mph | 60% | 16% |
| August | 56°F | 75% | 53% | 6.3 mph | 62% | 18% |
| September | 45°F | 77% | 56% | 7.4 mph | 50% | 30% |
| October | 34°F | 76% | 61% | 8.3 mph | 39% | 49% |
| November | 25°F | 80% | 71% | 8.8 mph | 21% | 69% |
| December | 18°F | 82% | 72% | 8.8 mph | 20% | 71% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094814. 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 Houghton Lake?
Over a year 70% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Houghton Lake, 3.7 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (79%) and December the cloudiest (50%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 54% | 1.3 |
| February | 62% | 2.3 |
| March | 67% | 3.5 |
| April | 68% | 4.6 |
| May | 70% | 5.5 |
| June | 75% | 6.2 |
| July | 79% | 6.2 |
| August | 77% | 5.3 |
| September | 75% | 4.1 |
| October | 63% | 2.5 |
| November | 56% | 1.5 |
| December | 50% | 1.0 |
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 Houghton Lake need?
A normal year in Houghton Lake brings 7,898 heating degree days, 47% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 337 cooling degree days, 63% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,035 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,421 | 0 |
| February | 1,252 | 0 |
| March | 1,093 | 0 |
| April | 683 | 1 |
| May | 338 | 20 |
| June | 102 | 69 |
| July | 41 | 126 |
| August | 66 | 91 |
| September | 227 | 28 |
| October | 567 | 3 |
| November | 885 | 0 |
| December | 1,223 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,898 | 337 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094814. 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 Houghton Lake been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 44.5°F, 0.4°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 44.1°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46.4°F | +2.3°F | 30.75 | 45.7 |
| 2022 | 44.1°F | at normal | 27.90 | 48.0 |
| 2023 | 46.4°F | +2.3°F | 26.36 | 47.1 |
| 2024 | 47.7°F | +3.6°F | 28.43 | 49.4 |
| 2025 | 44.5°F | +0.4°F | 28.30 | 94.1 |
Over 61 complete years from 1965 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 7.7°F per century (+0.43°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00094814; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Houghton Lake's climate compare?
Houghton Lake is warmer than 34 of the other 139 places with their own NOAA record in Michigan, and wetter than 7. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 44.1°F is warmer than 16%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Houghton Lake is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm 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 Houghton Lake 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.
- Prudenville, MI1,286 people · 4 mi S
- Roscommon, MI990 people · 10 mi NE
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 Houghton Lake's other NOAA stations record?
2 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Houghton Lake. This page uses Houghton Lake Roscommon County Airport; the others differ by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Lake (2 mi NW) USC00203930 | 6 mi SW | 1,161 ft | 43.9°F | 10°F | 81°F | 32.4 | 75 | May 20 |
| Houghton Lake (6 mi WSW) USC00203932 | 11 mi W | 1,135 ft | 44.0°F | 11°F | 82°F | 31.9 | 66 | May 30 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Houghton Lake's climate
What is the coldest month in Houghton Lake?
January, with a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 11°F. The warmest is July (81°F by day, 55°F at night).
Does it snow in Houghton Lake?
Yes: 66 inches in a normal year, falling on 49 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (16.4 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Houghton Lake?
June, with 3.22 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 1.41 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Houghton Lake in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Houghton Lake in zone 5a in ZIP code 48629. By the same method at Houghton Lake's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −16°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 5a.
How late can frost come in Houghton Lake?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 19; in one year in ten it comes after June 3. Waiting until June 3 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Houghton Lake in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Michigan climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Grayling, MI21 miles from this station, 43.3°F a year
- West Branch, MI24 miles from this station, 44.3°F a year
- Lake City, MI27 miles from this station, 43.6°F a year
- Gladwin, MI28 miles from this station, 45.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made