Alpena, MI climate
Alpena has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Alpena feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Alpena 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 | 28° | 13° | 2.1" | 15.6" | 20 | 26 | 8° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 14° | 1.6" | 14.4" | 16 | 26 | 8° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 21° | 1.8" | 6.2" | 13 | 20 | 20° – 40° |
| April | 50° | 32° | 3.0" | 3.5" | 14 | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 42° | 3.0" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 52° | 2.8" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 58° | 3.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 3.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 3.0" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 56° | 39° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 31° | 2.3" | 3.0" | 16 | 3 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 2.1" | 16.6" | 17 | 18 | 18° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 36° | 31.8" | 59.4" | 176 | 95 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Alpena
Alpena gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 176 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 95 days of the year.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first one by October 17. That leaves about 163 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 68% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Alpena
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Alpena, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Alpena and its neighbors
Alpena borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.2°. Maple Ridge has both the coldest January nights (12°) and the hottest July afternoons (80°). Alpena’s January low is 13° and its July high 78°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Alpena compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alpena averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Alpena’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 8° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Alpena’s climate
What is the coldest month in Alpena?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Alpena?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Alpena get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Alpena?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by May 5.
What is the rainiest month in Alpena?
August, with 3.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Alpena itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Alpena WWTP, MI (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.