Climate · Duncan

Duncan, MI climate

Duncan has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 121 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
78°
229th coolest of 1,983 Michigan towns
January low
4°
38th coldest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Rain + melted snow
32 in
276th driest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Snow a winter
121 in
151st snowiest of 1,918 Michigan towns
A normal year

What a year in Duncan feels like

Winter

25° / 6°
Typical high / low · 42 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

51° / 26°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 25

Summer

76° / 51°
Typical high / low · 90° days are rare

Fall

53° / 34°
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

Duncan 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
January22°4°1.8" 24.8"2031 1° – 24°
February26°4°1.4" 20.9"1629 0° – 29°
March38°13°1.6" 13.6"1128 14° – 41°
April50°26°2.5" 15.6"1315 29° – 46°
May65°39°3.0" 1.0"131 44° – 58°
June74°49°3.3" 0120 58° – 66°
July78°53°3.9" 0110 58° – 70°
August76°51°2.9" 0110 59° – 68°
September68°45°3.7" 0140 49° – 61°
October54°34°3.6" 3.8"162 38° – 49°
November39°23°2.3" 16.9"1616 21° – 40°
December27°12°1.9" 24.7"1929 9° – 28°
Year51°29°31.9"121.3"172149

“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 Duncan

Duncan gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 172 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 149 days of the year.

32 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 73% of U.S. towns
121 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 99% of U.S. towns
149 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 99% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.9"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
25"
Frost & the growing season

About 123 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first one by September 25. That leaves about 123 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.

189
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
29
nights below 0° in a normal year
<1
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Duncan

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

98%heating
9,156 heating degree daysMore heating than 95% of U.S. towns
203 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 Duncan

Duncan and its neighbors

Duncan borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.9°. Bates has the coldest January nights (3°) and Laird the hottest July afternoons (78°). Duncan’s January low is 4° and its July high 78°.

Baraga: January low 8°, July high 78°Bohemia: January low 6°, July high 77°Elm River: January low 6°, July high 77°Portage: January low 7°, July high 78°Stannard: January low 5°, July high 79°Spurr: January low 2°, July high 76°Hematite: January low 2°, July high 77°L'Anse: January low 6°, July high 77°Haight: January low 4°, July high 78°Watersmeet: January low 3°, July high 77°Stambaugh: January low 3°, July high 77°Iron River: January low 3°, July high 78°Crystal Falls: January low 2°, July high 77°Laird: January low 6°, July high 78°Covington: January low 3°, July high 77°Interior: January low 4°, July high 78°Iron River: January low 3°, July high 78°Bates: January low 3°, July high 78°Duncan: January low 4°, July high 78° DuncanLairdCovingtonInteriorIron RiverBates
ColderMilder2° to 8°
Bates2.7° −1.4°
Iron River2.9° −1.2°
Covington3.4° −0.7°
Interior3.9° −0.2°
Duncan4.1°
Laird5.6° +1.5°

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

Compared with other towns

How Duncan compares

Summer heat78° July high
Cooler than 95% of U.S. towns229th coolest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Winter cold4° January low
Colder than 91% of U.S. towns38th coldest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Precipitation32" a year
Drier than 73% of U.S. towns276th driest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Snow121" a winter
Snowier than 99% of U.S. towns151st snowiest of 1,918 Michigan towns
Growing season123 frost-free days
Shorter than 97% of U.S. towns119th 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

+1.6°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Duncan averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 78% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.9° now 16°, was 13°
🌷 Spring+1.2° now 38°, was 37°
☀️ Summer+1.2° now 63°, was 62°
🍂 Fall+1.3° now 43°, was 42°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Duncan’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 0° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Duncan’s climate

What is the coldest month in Duncan?

February, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 4°.

What is the hottest month in Duncan?

July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°.

How much snow does Duncan get?

About 121 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Duncan?

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

What is the rainiest month in Duncan?

July, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Duncan itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Watton 2wsw, MI (8 mi) away. 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

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