Free Soil, MI climate
Free Soil has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 120 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Free Soil feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Free Soil 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° | 2.3" | 38.1" | 19 | 29 | 13° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 16° | 1.6" | 24.2" | 15 | 28 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 2.1" | 10.8" | 11 | 18 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 3.3" | 3.9" | 13 | 3 | 34° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 3.1" | 10.5" | 14 | 6 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 34° | 22° | 2.4" | 31.8" | 17 | 21 | 20° – 37° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 34.8" | 119.6" | 161 | 104 |
“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 Free Soil
Free Soil gets 35 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 104 days of the year.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first one by October 12. That leaves about 151 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 80% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Free Soil
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Free Soil, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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.
Free Soil and its neighbors
Free Soil borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.5°. Meade has both the coldest January nights (16°) and the hottest July afternoons (81°). Free Soil’s January low is 16° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Free Soil 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 Free Soil averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Free Soil’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 23° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Free Soil’s climate
What is the coldest month in Free Soil?
January, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Free Soil?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 3 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Free Soil get?
About 120 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Free Soil?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 12, and the last spring frost by May 14.
What is the rainiest month in Free Soil?
October, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 35 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Free Soil itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wellston 1n, MI (14 mi, snow) and Manistee 3se, MI (7 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.