Lansing, MI climate
Lansing has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade2° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 69°, and a typical Sep 30 in Lansing peaks around 67°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Lansing feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lansing 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 | 30° | 16° | 2.2" | 14.3" | 14 | 22 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 1.9" | 12.9" | 11 | 19 | 11° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.2" | 5.9" | 11 | 9 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 3.4" | 1.7" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 3.9" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.6" | 3.9" | 12 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 2.0" | 11.3" | 14 | 13 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 35.0" | 50.2" | 138 | 66 |
“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 Lansing
Lansing gets 35 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 66 days of the year.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 13. That leaves about 162 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 69% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lansing
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lansing, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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.
Lansing and its neighbors
Lansing borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.1°. Lansing has both the coldest January nights (16°) and the hottest July afternoons (82°). Lansing’s January low is 16° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Lansing 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 Lansing averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lansing’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 11° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Lansing’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lansing?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Lansing?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lansing get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Lansing?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Lansing?
May, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 35 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lansing itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lansing Capital City Airport, MI (5 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.