Marquette, MI climate
Marquette has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 81 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Marquette feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Marquette 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 | 24° | 10° | 1.9" | 20.4" | 17 | 30 | 4° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 10° | 1.4" | 14.8" | 14 | 29 | 3° – 29° |
| March | 36° | 18° | 1.8" | 9.8" | 11 | 27 | 15° – 38° |
| April | 48° | 29° | 2.6" | 6.8" | 12 | 10 | 31° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 40° | 2.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 50° | 3.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 56° | 3.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 56° | 3.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 49° | 3.6" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 38° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 15 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| November | 41° | 29° | 2.8" | 7.4" | 14 | 7 | 28° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 19° | 2.4" | 21.3" | 16 | 25 | 14° – 34° |
| Year | 51° | 33° | 32.9" | 80.9" | 155 | 127 |
“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 Marquette
Marquette 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 155 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 127 days of the year.
About 110 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 1 and the first one by September 21. That leaves about 110 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Marquette
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Marquette, 99% of that work is heating and 1% 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.
Marquette and its neighbors
Marquette borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.4°. Rudyard has both the coldest January nights (8°) and the hottest July afternoons (78°). Marquette’s January low is 10° and its July high 76°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Marquette 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 Marquette averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.1°). The shift is larger than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Marquette’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 3° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Marquette’s climate
What is the coldest month in Marquette?
February, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 10°.
What is the hottest month in Marquette?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 56°.
How much snow does Marquette get?
About 81 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Marquette?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 21, and the last spring frost by June 1.
What is the rainiest month in Marquette?
October, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Marquette itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Moran, MI (15 mi, snow) and Rudyard 5se, MI (8 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.