Michigan Climate
Top 5 Cities: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, and Ann Arbor
This month in numbers
Michigan experienced its wettest April on record, with precipitation reaching 157.48 mm, an astonishing 90.7 mm above the 1961–1990 baseline. This also contributed to the wettest February–April period on record, with 98.38 mm of precipitation, 46 mm above average. The average temperature for April 2026 was 7.83°C, ranking as the 13th warmest April in 77 years of records, with an anomaly of +2°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record.
What changed
Michigan's average temperature for the February–April 2026 period was 1.48°C, ranking as the 9th warmest such period on record, with an anomaly of +2.3°C. This warmth, combined with record precipitation, has significantly impacted the region. Michigan's 1-month anomaly of +1.97°C places it 95th out of 234 regions globally, while its 3-month anomaly of +2.29°C ranks it 80th. The broader US picture shows a striking concentration of warmth, with 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies being US states.
What’s driving change?
The record-breaking precipitation in Michigan this spring was largely driven by a combination of factors. A significant amount of snow fell in March, including a blizzard that brought two feet of wet snow to parts of Michigan. This was followed by persistent heavy rains in April, falling on already saturated soils and rapidly melting snow. This "rain on snow" event overwhelmed rivers and dams, leading to widespread and historic flooding across much of the state, particularly in northern Michigan. Several tornadoes also impacted the state in April, with nine confirmed across Lower Michigan on April 14-15, and an EF-1 tornado in Van Buren Township on April 4. Additionally, Michigan has seen an unusual concentration of wildfire activity in May, with three events representing 100% of the annual total logged for the past 12 months, and officials are concerned about increased risk due to dried-out debris from a March 2025 ice storm. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's seasonal outlook for June, July, and August 2026 indicates probabilities leaning towards above-normal temperatures for Southeast Michigan, with equal chances for above, near, or below normal precipitation.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Michigan
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Michigan changing?
Michigan is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Michigan come from?
Climate data for Michigan comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Michigan climate data cover?
The Michigan climate profile covers Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights and surrounding areas. Michigan climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Michigan climate update refreshed?
The Michigan climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.