Climate · Champion

Champion, MI climate

Champion has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 197 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
77°
88th coolest of 1,983 Michigan towns
January low
5°
55th coldest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Rain + melted snow
33 in
727th driest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Snow a winter
197 in
9th snowiest of 1,918 Michigan towns
A normal year

What a year in Champion feels like

Winter

24° / 7°
Typical high / low · 49 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

48° / 25°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 26

Summer

74° / 50°
Typical high / low · 4 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

52° / 33°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 25
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Champion weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January21°5°1.9" 42.1"1831 2° – 23°
February25°5°1.6" 36.8"1428 1° – 28°
March36°13°1.9" 29.4"1430 14° – 38°
April48°25°2.8" 17.6"1216 29° – 44°
May62°38°3.2" 1.4"131 44° – 55°
June72°48°3.3" 0130 56° – 65°
July77°52°3.6" 0120 58° – 69°
August75°51°2.9" 0110 58° – 67°
September66°45°3.7" 0.1"130 49° – 61°
October52°34°3.7" 5.3"163 37° – 49°
November37°22°2.5" 24.2"1516 20° – 39°
December26°12°2.2" 39.9"1729 10° – 27°
Year50°29°33.3"196.8"167153

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Champion

Champion gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 167 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 153 days of the year.

33 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 69% of U.S. towns
197 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 100% of U.S. towns
153 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 100% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
42"
Frost & the growing season

About 119 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first one by September 25. That leaves about 119 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.

191
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
33
nights below 0° in a normal year
4
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Champion

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Champion, 98% of that work is heating and 2% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

98%heating
9,337 heating degree daysMore heating than 96% of U.S. towns
205 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Champion

Champion and its neighbors

Champion borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 5.6°. Humboldt has both the coldest January nights (3°) and the hottest July afternoons (78°). Champion’s January low is 5° and its July high 77°.

L'Anse: January low 6°, July high 77°Spurr: January low 2°, July high 76°Republic: January low 2°, July high 77°Arvon: January low 10°, July high 76°Ishpeming: January low 5°, July high 77°Negaunee: January low 7°, July high 77°Marquette: January low 9°, July high 76°Tilden: January low 5°, July high 78°Negaunee: January low 6°, July high 77°West Branch: January low 5°, July high 79°Felch: January low 5°, July high 79°Sagola: January low 4°, July high 79°Michigamme: January low 4°, July high 76°Ishpeming: January low 7°, July high 77°Ely: January low 4°, July high 77°Powell: January low 9°, July high 77°Humboldt: January low 3°, July high 78°Champion: January low 5°, July high 77° ChampionMichigammeIshpemingElyPowellHumboldt
ColderMilder2° to 10°
Humboldt3.2° −1.7°
Michigamme3.5° −1.4°
Ely3.8° −1.1°
Champion4.9°
Ishpeming6.5° +1.6°
Powell8.8° +3.9°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Champion compares

Summer heat77° July high
Cooler than 97% of U.S. towns88th coolest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Winter cold5° January low
Colder than 90% of U.S. towns55th coldest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Precipitation33" a year
Drier than 69% of U.S. towns727th driest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Snow197" a winter
Snowier than 100% of U.S. towns9th snowiest of 1,918 Michigan towns
Growing season119 frost-free days
Shorter than 97% of U.S. towns101st shortest of 1,980 Michigan towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Champion averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°). The shift is larger than in 83% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.8° now 15°, was 13°
🌷 Spring+1.4° now 37°, was 36°
☀️ Summer+1.3° now 62°, was 61°
🍂 Fall+1.5° now 43°, was 41°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Champion’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 1° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Champion’s climate

What is the coldest month in Champion?

February, with a typical high of 25° and a low of 5°.

What is the hottest month in Champion?

July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 52°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Champion get?

About 197 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Champion?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 25, and the last spring frost by May 26.

What is the rainiest month in Champion?

September, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Champion itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Marquette, MI (16 mi, snow) and Ishpeming WWTP, MI (12 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.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Champion, MIMarquette CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01