Detroit has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Detroit at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Detroit’s climate
Read from where Detroit sits among Alabama’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Living with Detroit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
198 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 27.
About 0.6" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 65% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 78 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 91°.
The nicest months are March, April, May and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Detroit averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Detroit feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Rain and snow in Detroit
December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
About 0.6" in a normal year, so most winters see none.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 27.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
How Detroit compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Alabama.
Detroit weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 5.3" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 58° | 35° | 5.7" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 5.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 5.9" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 5.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 3.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 3.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 39° | 4.4" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 6.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 35° – 54° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 58.6" | 0.6" | 88 | 0 |
Heating and cooling a home in Detroit
65% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Detroit’s climate
What is the coldest month in Detroit?
January, with a typical high of 53° and a low of 32°.
What is the hottest month in Detroit?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 78 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Detroit get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.6 inches.
When is the first frost in Detroit?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 27, and the last spring frost by April 11.
What is the rainiest month in Detroit?
December, with 6.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 59 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Detroit.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Detroit itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sulligent, AL (9 mi, snow) and Hamilton 3 S, AL (11 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.