Norton Shores has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Norton Shores at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norton Shores’s climate
Read from where Norton Shores sits among Michigan’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in Norton Shores feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Living with Norton Shores’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
170 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 19.
About 87" a winter over 27 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 74 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 91% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 3 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 82°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 38 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 →87 inches of snow, 36 of rain and melt
October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 143 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 19.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Norton Shores and its neighbors
Fruitport has the coldest January nights next door (18°) and Fruitport the hottest July afternoons (82°). 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Norton Shores averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Norton Shores compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Michigan.
Norton Shores 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 | 32° | 19° | 2.3" | 29.1" | 16 | 24 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 19° | 1.9" | 20.0" | 13 | 20 | 15° – 36° |
| March | 44° | 26° | 2.3" | 7.5" | 11 | 10 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.6" | 1.8" | 13 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 3.4" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 52° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 3.9" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 32° | 2.9" | 6.5" | 14 | 4 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 37° | 25° | 2.3" | 22.3" | 15 | 16 | 22° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 35.6" | 87.2" | 143 | 74 |
Heating and cooling a home in Norton Shores
91% 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 26° to 49°. October is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Norton Shores’s climate
What is the coldest month in Norton Shores?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Norton Shores?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 3 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Norton Shores get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Norton Shores?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Norton Shores?
October, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norton Shores.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Norton Shores itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Muskegon Co Airport, MI (1 mi) away. 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.