Detroit, MI Climate & Monthly Averages
Detroit has a humid subtropical climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 82° by day; January is the coldest at 33°.
Detroit's climate is a story of contrasts
Seasons are the whole story in Detroit. The gap between an average July and an average January is 26°C - hot, humid summers and generally mild winters - which in practice means 82°F (28°C) afternoons at one end of the calendar and 33°F (0°C) at the other.
July
82° by day 66° at nightJanuary
33° by day 21° at nightThe two ends of the year
Precipitation concentrates in June - 3.7 inches (94 mm) on 12 days - and thins out by February. January bottoms out at 33°F (0°C) in daylight, 21°F (-6°C) after dark. At its warmest, in July, Detroit runs to 82°F (28°C) in the afternoon and back to 66°F (19°C) by dawn. Across the gridded 2015-2024 daily record, the highest daily maximum for this location was 95°F (35°C) and the lowest daily minimum -18°F (-28°C).
June is the brightest month at 12.3 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 8.5.
Overnight lows average at or below freezing for 4 months, December through March. Between the average July and the average January lie 26°C, a wider spread than roughly 88% of the cities we track.
More climate facts for Detroit
- Hottest month: July - highs near 82°F (28°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 33°F (0°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 95°F (35°C) high · -18°F (-28°C) low
- Wettest month: June (12 rainy days) · Sunniest: June (12.3 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid subtropical
- Annual swing: 26°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 8°C
- Snow: about 17 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 4
- Average humidity: 72%
Four distinct parts of the year in Detroit
Spring (March through May)
Spring stays on the cool side of mild here - highs near 57°F (14°C), nights near 39°F (4°C), and rain falls on around 36 of the 90 days, plus about 4 snowy days.
Summer (June through August)
Summer in Detroit is pleasantly warm, with daytime highs averaging 80°F (27°C) and nights around 64°F (18°C); rain falls on around 35 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 12.0 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Through fall, Detroit is crisp but comfortable: 62°F (16°C) by day, 48°F (9°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 30 of the 90 days.
Winter (December through February)
Through winter, Detroit brings deep cold: 36°F (2°C) by day, 23°F (-5°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 29 days across the season, plus about 11 snowy days. Wind sharpens cold like this considerably; pair the forecast winds with the wind speed converter to judge exposed conditions.
Detroit temperature extremes in the 2015–2024 dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Choosing a season in Detroit
Best time to visit Detroit
Aim for July to October if you get the choice: these are the warmest and brightest weeks of the year, and highs average 75°F (24°C) against roughly 11 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in July.
What to pack
Pack for Detroit with light clothing for the warm months, a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and a compact umbrella or rain shell. Note the gap between afternoon and night: July pairs 82°F (28°C) with 66°F (19°C).
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 21° | 10 | 2.6 in | 4.7 h/day | 9.4 h | 33% | 75% |
| February | 36° | 20° | 9 | 2.4 in | 6.7 h/day | 10.5 h | 31% | 73% |
| March | 45° | 29° | 10 | 2.9 in | 7.6 h/day | 11.8 h | 32% | 69% |
| April | 56° | 38° | 14 | 3.6 in | 8.8 h/day | 13.3 h | 47% | 69% |
| May | 69° | 51° | 12 | 3.5 in | 10.3 h/day | 14.6 h | 40% | 69% |
| June | 78° | 61° | 12 | 3.7 in | 12.3 h/day | 15.3 h | 41% | 67% |
| July | 82° | 66° | 12 | 3.6 in | 12.3 h/day | 15.0 h | 37% | 70% |
| August | 80° | 65° | 11 | 3.7 in | 11.4 h/day | 13.9 h | 35% | 72% |
| September | 75° | 60° | 10 | 2.9 in | 9.6 h/day | 12.4 h | 33% | 74% |
| October | 62° | 48° | 12 | 3.5 in | 7.3 h/day | 11.0 h | 37% | 72% |
| November | 48° | 36° | 9 | 2.4 in | 5.9 h/day | 9.7 h | 29% | 73% |
| December | 39° | 28° | 10 | 2.5 in | 4.5 h/day | 9.1 h | 33% | 77% |
Detroit from the coldest month to the hottest
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Detroit's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 4.7 h
- Daylight
- 9.4 h
- Snow
- 4 days
February
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 6.7 h
- Daylight
- 10.5 h
- Snow
- 5 days
March
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 7.6 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 2 days
April
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 8.8 h
- Daylight
- 13.3 h
- Snow
- 1 day
May
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.3 h
- Daylight
- 14.6 h
June
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 12.3 h
- Daylight
- 15.3 h
July
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 12.3 h
- Daylight
- 15.0 h
August
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 11.4 h
- Daylight
- 13.9 h
September
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.6 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 7.3 h
- Daylight
- 11.0 h
November
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 5.9 h
- Daylight
- 9.7 h
- Snow
- 2 days
December
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 4.5 h
- Daylight
- 9.1 h
- Snow
- 3 days
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Detroit's coolest part of the year: January, February, December.
Where Detroit sits among other climates
- Detroit sits close to the middle of our dataset on most measures: 51°F (10°C) as an annual average, 37.1 inches (943 mm) of precipitation and 8.5 hours of sun a day.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.