Little Traverse, MI climate
Little Traverse has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 124 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Little Traverse feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Little Traverse 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 15° | 2.1" | 39.3" | 18 | 8° – 30° |
| February | 29° | 14° | 1.4" | 27.2" | 14 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 38° | 21° | 1.8" | 12.2" | 11 | 19° – 42° |
| April | 49° | 31° | 2.8" | 4.5" | 12 | 32° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 72° | 52° | 3.1" | 0 | 11 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 76° | 58° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 58° | 3.2" | 0 | 11 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 51° | 3.7" | 0 | 12 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 56° | 41° | 4.3" | 0.3" | 17 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 43° | 32° | 2.9" | 9.4" | 17 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 33° | 23° | 2.4" | 30.6" | 17 | 19° – 36° |
| Year | 52° | 36° | 33.4" | 123.6" | 161 |
“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 Little Traverse
Little Traverse gets 33 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.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 166 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 64% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Little Traverse
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Little Traverse, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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.
Little Traverse and its neighbors
Little Traverse borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.8°. Maple River has the coldest January nights (11°) and Littlefield the hottest July afternoons (79°). Little Traverse’s January low is 15° and its July high 76°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Little Traverse 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 Little Traverse averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.5°). The shift is larger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Little Traverse’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 6° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Little Traverse’s climate
What is the coldest month in Little Traverse?
February, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Little Traverse?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 58°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Little Traverse get?
About 124 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Little Traverse?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by May 6.
What is the rainiest month in Little Traverse?
October, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Little Traverse itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Petoskey, MI (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.