Fair Plain has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 78 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Fair Plain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fair Plain’s climate
Read from where Fair Plain sits among Michigan’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in Fair Plain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fair Plain averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 57% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
78 inches of snow, 38 of rain and melt
October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 17.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Fair Plain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
164 frost-free days. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 17.
About 78" a winter over 26 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 41 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 90% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 9 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 83°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Fair Plain and its neighbors
Royalton has the coldest January nights next door (19°) and Royalton the hottest July afternoons (83°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Fair Plain compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Michigan.
Fair Plain 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 | 33° | 19° | 2.4" | 29.5" | 14 | 16 | 17° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 2.0" | 18.8" | 10 | 11 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 2.2" | 7.7" | 10 | 4 | 28° – 52° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.1" | 12 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 48° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 3.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 54° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 49° | 33° | 2.9" | 3.8" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 38° | 25° | 2.5" | 16.6" | 13 | 8 | 19° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 41° | 37.9" | 77.7" | 126 | 41 |
Heating and cooling a home in Fair Plain
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Fair Plain’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fair Plain?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Fair Plain?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fair Plain get?
About 78 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Fair Plain?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by May 4.
What is the rainiest month in Fair Plain?
October, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fair Plain.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fair Plain itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Benton Harbor Airport, MI (3 mi, snow) and Benton Harbor Airport, MI (3 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.