Stephenson, Michigan climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Stephenson's normal year runs from 5°F January nights to 81°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.1°C, January lows of −15°C, July highs of 27°C.
- NOAA stationStephenson (5 mi WSW)
- Station IDUSC00207867
- Location45.39°N 87.70°W
- Elevation690 ft (210 m)
- Population798
On October 23, the normal high in Stephenson is 55°F and the normal low 32°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Stephenson.
- Jan 27° 5°
- Feb 30° 6°
- Mar 41° 17°
- Apr 54° 28°
- May 67° 40°
- Jun 77° 50°
- Jul 81° 54°
- Aug 80° 53°
- Sep 71° 45°
- Oct 58° 34°
- Nov 44° 24°
- Dec 31° 14°
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 Stephenson each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 81°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 5°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 5°F | 16.0°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 30°F | 6°F | 18.1°F | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 41°F | 17°F | 29.2°F | – | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 54°F | 28°F | 41.0°F | – | <1 | 21 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 67°F | 40°F | 53.3°F | – | <1 | 8 | 14 h 50 min |
| June | 77°F | 50°F | 63.5°F | – | 2 | 1 | 15 h 40 min |
| July | 81°F | 54°F | 67.6°F | – | 3 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| August | 80°F | 53°F | 66.1°F | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 71°F | 45°F | 58.3°F | – | <1 | 3 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 58°F | 34°F | 46.1°F | – | <1 | 16 | 11 h |
| November | 44°F | 24°F | 33.9°F | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 31°F | 14°F | 22.3°F | – | <1 | 30 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 31°F | 42.9°F | – | 6 | 191 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −15°C | −8.9°C |
| February | −1°C | −14°C | −7.7°C |
| March | 5°C | −8°C | −1.6°C |
| April | 12°C | −2°C | 5.0°C |
| May | 19°C | 4°C | 11.8°C |
| June | 25°C | 10°C | 17.5°C |
| July | 27°C | 12°C | 19.8°C |
| August | 26°C | 11°C | 18.9°C |
| September | 22°C | 7°C | 14.6°C |
| October | 15°C | 1°C | 7.8°C |
| November | 6°C | −4°C | 1.1°C |
| December | −1°C | −10°C | −5.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Marinette (21 miles away), gets 44 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00207867; 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 Stephenson?
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 USC00207867.
When is the last frost in Stephenson?
In Stephenson, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 22 in half of years and after June 4 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 27 in half of years and before September 10 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 221 year in 10 after June 4; 9 in 10 after May 7
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 271 year in 10 before September 10; 9 in 10 before October 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 126 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 149 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 10 in half of springs and before October 7 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Stephenson in zone 5a in ZIP code 49848, 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 USC00207867; 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 Stephenson?
In a normal year in Stephenson, 6 days a year reach 90°F and 191 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 191a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 68high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1948) is 101°F, on July 26, 1955; the lowest is −45°F, on February 3, 1996.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1959, with 43.09 in; the snowiest season is 1970–71, with 106.7 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00207867; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00207867. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Stephenson?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Stephenson, 3.6 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 | 56% | 1.3 |
| February | 62% | 2.2 |
| March | 67% | 3.4 |
| April | 68% | 4.6 |
| May | 71% | 5.6 |
| June | 75% | 6.1 |
| July | 80% | 6.2 |
| August | 78% | 5.2 |
| September | 75% | 4.0 |
| October | 64% | 2.4 |
| November | 58% | 1.4 |
| December | 54% | 1.1 |
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 Stephenson need?
A normal year in Stephenson brings 8,320 heating degree days, 55% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 321 cooling degree days, 65% 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 1,972 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,519 | 0 |
| February | 1,312 | 0 |
| March | 1,108 | 0 |
| April | 719 | 1 |
| May | 376 | 15 |
| June | 111 | 67 |
| July | 42 | 123 |
| August | 56 | 88 |
| September | 228 | 26 |
| October | 589 | 2 |
| November | 935 | 0 |
| December | 1,325 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,320 | 321 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00207867. 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 Stephenson's climate compare?
Stephenson is warmer than 24 of the other 139 places with their own NOAA record in Michigan. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 42.9°F is warmer than 12%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Stephenson share this climate record?
5 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.
- Hermansville, MI621 people · 22 mi N
- Wausaukee, WI593 people · 12 mi W
- Daggett, MI204 people · 7 mi NE
- Carney, MI177 people · 16 mi NE
- Amberg, WI148 people · 16 mi NW
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 Stephenson's climate
What is the coldest month in Stephenson?
January, with a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 5°F. The warmest is July (81°F by day, 54°F at night).
Does it snow in Stephenson?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Stephenson's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Marinette (21 miles away), records 44 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Stephenson in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Stephenson in zone 5a in ZIP code 49848, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Stephenson?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 22; in one year in ten it comes after June 4. Waiting until June 4 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Michigan climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Marinette, WI21 miles from this station, 44.7°F a year
- Crivitz, WI24 miles from this station, 41.3°F a year
- Peshtigo, WI25 miles from this station, 43.7°F a year
- Ephraim, WI30 miles from this station, 44.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made