Shepherd, MI climate
Shepherd has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shepherd feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Shepherd 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 | 29° | 16° | 2.0" | 10.7" | 13 | 23 | 13° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.7" | 9.9" | 10 | 21 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 2.0" | 5.4" | 9 | 11 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.5" | 2.1" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.6" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 55° | 3.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 2.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 2.5" | 2.7" | 11 | 2 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 22° | 1.9" | 8.2" | 12 | 14 | 18° – 37° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 33.4" | 39.3" | 131 | 72 |
“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 Shepherd
Shepherd gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 131 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 72 days of the year.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 171 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shepherd
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shepherd, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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.
How Shepherd 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 Shepherd averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shepherd’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 23° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Shepherd’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shepherd?
January, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Shepherd?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 59°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shepherd get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Shepherd?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Shepherd?
August, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shepherd itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Alma, MI (10 mi, snow) and Central Michigan Univ, MI (6 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.