Michigan Annual Temperatures and Records

City

Avg High Temp

Avg Low Temp 

Avg Annual Temp

 Avg # days > 90F Avg # days < 32F  Record High Temp Record Low Temp
Alpena 53.7 32.7 43.2 7 195 103 / 1995 -37 / 1979
Detroit 58.4 40.0 49.2 12 131 104 / 1988 -21 / 1984
Flint 56.8 37.7 47.3 8 143 101 / 1988 -25 / 1976
Grand Rapids 57.1 38.4 47.9 12 147 102 / 1953 -22 / 1951
Houghton Lake  53.5 33.5 43.5 4 171 103 / 1995 -34 / 1979
Lansing 57.1 37.2 47.2 10 148 100 / 1964 -29 / 1981
Marquette 49.1 29.9 39.5 3 194 99 / 1963 -34 / 1979
Muskegon 55.9 39.0 47.4 3 139 99 / 1964 -19 / 1996
Sault Ste Marie 49.4 31.1 40.3 2 177 97 / 131 -37 / 1934
  • Michigan annual average temperature - 44.41 degrees, 40th warmest state in the U.S.
  • Record Hottest year in Michigan - 1998 / Avg temperature 48.35 degrees
  • Record Coldest year in Michigan - 1917 / Avg temperature 40.92 degrees
  • Michigan average Summer temperature (June, July, August) 66.2 F degrees, 40th warmest U.S. summer state
  • Michigan average Winter temperature (December, January, February) 21.7 F degrees, 12th coldest U.S. winter state

Michigan Temperature Records 

  • Hottest temperature ever recorded: 112 F, Mio, northern Michigan, 7/13/1936
  • Coldest temperature ever recorded: -51 F, Vanderbilt, northern Michigan, 2/9/1994
  • Hottest location ranked by highest average annual temperature: Ypsilanti, southeastern Michigan, 50.2 F
  • Coldest location ranked by lowest average annual temperature: Herman, western Upper Peninsula, 39.1 F
  • The winter of 2002-2003 was one of the most enduring winters on record at Detroit, Michigan. From January
    through February, the temperature stayed below 40 degrees 90% of the time and lower than 32 F for 76% of the
    time. In addition to continuously cold temperatures, it was the driest winter on record with only 2.24" of 
    precipitation from December through February.

The lake effect imparts many interesting departures to Michigan’s climate which one would not ordinarily expect to find at a mid-latitude location. Due to the lake waters’ slow response to temperature changes and the dominating westerly winds, the arrival of both summer and winter are retarded. In the spring, the cooler temperatures slow the development of vegetation until the danger of frost is past. In the fall, the warmer lake waters temper the first outbreaks of cold air, allowing additional time for crops to mature or reach a stage which is free from damage by frost. This modification in temperature extremes by the lakes enables Michigan to produce successfully a variety of crops more ideally suited to the climate of states much further south.

With the first cold outbreaks in the fall, Michigan experiences a considerable increase in cloudiness. When cold air passes over the warmer lake water, a shallow layer of unstable, moisture-laden air develops in the lower levels of the atmosphere. This air, when forced to rise, produces the increased cloudiness and frequent snow flurry activity observed in the fall and early winter months. A comparison of percent of possible sunshine in December showed Lansing receiving 27 percent, while Madison, Wisconsin received 42 percent. The difference decreases slowly as the lake waters cool, but does not completely disappear until the latter part of February.

Michigan precipitation averages and extremes, Detroit climate extremes, precipitation and temperature data for all U.S. states and Top 10 U.S. climate extremes
Data source: National Climatic Data Center