Elk, MI climate
Elk has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Elk feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Elk 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° | 16° | 2.1" | 13.0" | 11 | 20 | 12° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 17° | 1.8" | 9.5" | 9 | 18 | 9° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 25° | 2.0" | 6.3" | 9 | 10 | 24° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 35° | 3.1" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 3.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 2.5" | 2.0" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 2.1" | 7.6" | 11 | 12 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 56° | 39° | 32.7" | 40.7" | 120 | 63 |
“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
Elk gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 63 days of the year.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first one by October 16. That leaves about 165 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Elk
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Elk, 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.
Elk and its neighbors
Elk borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Flynn has both the coldest January nights (16°) and the hottest July afternoons (81°). Elk’s January low is 16° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Elk 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 averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 74% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Elk’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 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Elk’s climate
What is the coldest month in Elk?
January, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Elk?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Elk get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Elk?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 16, and the last spring frost by May 2.
What is the rainiest month in Elk?
May, with 3.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elk itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Yale 1 Nnw, MI (10 mi, snow) and Sandusky, MI (9 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.