Shields has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Shields at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shields’s climate
Read from where Shields sits among Michigan’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Living with Shields’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
172 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 17.
About 49" a winter over 17 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 65 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 91% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 9 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 83°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 1.1 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 →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Shields averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 17.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
What a year in Shields feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
49 inches of snow, 33 of rain and melt
August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Shields and its neighbors
Saginaw has the coldest January nights next door (16°) and James the hottest July afternoons (83°). 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.
How Shields compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Michigan.
Shields 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 | 30° | 16° | 2.0" | 13.9" | 13 | 21 | 12° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 17° | 1.7" | 11.4" | 10 | 19 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 1.9" | 6.0" | 10 | 9 | 25° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.4" | 2.4" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.6" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 2.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.3" | 3.3" | 12 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 1.9" | 11.8" | 12 | 13 | 18° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 32.6" | 49.0" | 133 | 65 |
Heating and cooling a home in Shields
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 25° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Shields’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shields?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Shields?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shields get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Shields?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 26.
What is the rainiest month in Shields?
August, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shields.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shields itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Saginaw Mbs Intl Airport, MI (8 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.