Climate · Platte

Platte, MI climate

Platte has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 143 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
79°
352nd coolest of 1,983 Michigan towns
January low
15°
682nd coldest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Rain + melted snow
34 in
921st wettest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Snow a winter
143 in
77th snowiest of 1,918 Michigan towns
A normal year

What a year in Platte feels like

Winter

30° / 17°
Typical high / low · 44 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

52° / 32°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 22

Summer

77° / 55°
Typical high / low · 6 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

56° / 40°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 9
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Platte weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January28°15°2.3" 44.5"1929 11° – 30°
February30°15°1.5" 27.5"1328 10° – 32°
March40°22°2.0" 14.3"1023 21° – 45°
April52°31°3.0" 6.4"105 34° – 48°
May65°42°3.2" 0.2"110 46° – 60°
June75°52°3.0" 090 59° – 70°
July79°57°3.0" 090 62° – 74°
August77°57°3.1" 080 62° – 71°
September70°50°3.6" 0110 54° – 64°
October56°39°4.2" 0.5"130 44° – 55°
November43°30°2.9" 13.9"156 29° – 44°
December33°21°2.5" 36.0"1623 20° – 36°
Year54°36°34.2"143.3"143114

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Platte

Platte gets 34 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 143 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 114 days of the year.

34 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 67% of U.S. towns
143 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 99% of U.S. towns
114 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 95% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.2"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
45"
Frost & the growing season

About 140 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first one by October 9. That leaves about 140 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 89% of U.S. towns.

154
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
6
nights below 0° in a normal year
6
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Platte

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Platte, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
7,410 heating degree daysMore heating than 79% of U.S. towns
409 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 84% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Platte

Platte and its neighbors

Platte borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.3°. Inland has both the coldest January nights (14°) and the hottest July afternoons (80°). Platte’s January low is 15° and its July high 79°.

Weldon: January low 15°, July high 80°Long Lake: January low 15°, July high 80°Kasson: January low 14°, July high 79°Crystal Lake: January low 16°, July high 78°Glen Arbor: January low 16°, July high 80°Joyfield: January low 15°, July high 79°Green Lake: January low 14°, July high 81°Colfax: January low 14°, July high 81°Homestead: January low 15°, July high 80°Almira: January low 14°, July high 80°Lake: January low 17°, July high 77°Empire: January low 16°, July high 78°Benzonia: January low 15°, July high 80°Inland: January low 14°, July high 80°Platte: January low 15°, July high 79° PlatteHomesteadAlmiraLakeEmpireBenzoniaInland
ColderMilder14° to 17°
Inland13.9° −0.8°
Almira14.2° −0.5°
Homestead14.6° −0.1°
Platte14.7°
Benzonia15.4° +0.7°
Empire15.6° +0.9°
Lake17.2° +2.5°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Platte compares

Summer heat79° July high
Cooler than 92% of U.S. towns352nd coolest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Winter cold15° January low
Colder than 71% of U.S. towns682nd coldest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Precipitation34" a year
Drier than 67% of U.S. towns921st wettest of 1,983 Michigan towns
Snow143" a winter
Snowier than 99% of U.S. towns77th snowiest of 1,918 Michigan towns
Growing season140 frost-free days
Shorter than 89% of U.S. towns496th shortest of 1,980 Michigan towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+2.4°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Platte averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 100% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.1° now 24°, was 20°
🌷 Spring+2.5° now 42°, was 40°
☀️ Summer+2.3° now 66°, was 64°
🍂 Fall+1.8° now 48°, was 46°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Platte’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 21° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Platte’s climate

What is the coldest month in Platte?

January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 15°.

What is the hottest month in Platte?

July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Platte get?

About 143 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Platte?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by May 22.

What is the rainiest month in Platte?

October, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 34 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Platte itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Maple City 1e, MI (12 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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