Elk Rapids, MI climate
Elk Rapids has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Elk Rapids feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Elk Rapids 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 | 29° | 18° | 2.1" | 32.0" | 18 | 28 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 30° | 17° | 1.4" | 22.3" | 13 | 27 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 1.8" | 13.4" | 10 | 19 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 51° | 32° | 2.9" | 6.8" | 12 | 4 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 3.1" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 53° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 2.7" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 77° | 59° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 52° | 3.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 57° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 33° | 2.7" | 10.4" | 14 | 7 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.2" | 29.3" | 16 | 20 | 21° – 39° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 32.3" | 114.5" | 149 | 105 |
“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 Elk Rapids
Elk Rapids gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 105 days of the year.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 158 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 73% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Rapids
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Elk Rapids, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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.
How Elk Rapids 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 Elk Rapids averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Elk Rapids’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 21° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Elk Rapids’s climate
What is the coldest month in Elk Rapids?
February, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Elk Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Elk Rapids get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Elk Rapids?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by May 13.
What is the rainiest month in Elk Rapids?
October, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elk Rapids itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, MI (13 mi, snow) and Old Mission 3ssw, MI (6 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.