Portage, MI climate
Portage has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Portage feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Portage 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° | 17° | 2.3" | 18.1" | 14 | 21 | 16° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 19° | 1.9" | 15.6" | 11 | 18 | 14° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.2" | 6.0" | 10 | 7 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.4" | 2.1" | 12 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 4.1" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 3.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.5" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.6" | 5.9" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.2" | 16.4" | 14 | 13 | 18° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 36.9" | 64.6" | 138 | 62 |
“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 Portage
Portage gets 37 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 62 days of the year.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first one by October 18. That leaves about 172 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 58% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Portage
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Portage, 90% of that work is heating and 10% 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.
Portage and its neighbors
Portage borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.2°. Pavilion has the coldest January nights (17°) and Kalamazoo the hottest July afternoons (84°). Portage’s January low is 17° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Portage 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 Portage averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Portage’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 27° to 51°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Portage’s climate
What is the coldest month in Portage?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Portage?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Portage get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Portage?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 18, and the last spring frost by April 28.
What is the rainiest month in Portage?
May, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Portage itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Battle Creek 5nw, MI (20 mi, snow) and Kalamazoo Battle Ck Intl Airport, MI (3 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.