Michigan State Summary

Michigan experiences large seasonal changes in temperature, with warm, humid summers and cold winters. The Great Lakes play an important role in moderating the state’s climate, causing it to be more temperate and moist than other north-central states. The Lower Peninsula is bordered by Lake Michigan to the west and by Lakes Huron and Erie to the east; the Upper Peninsula, by Lake Superior to the north and Lakes Michigan and Huron to the east and south. The moderating effect is most evident along the shores, which are considerably warmer during the winter and cooler in the summer than more inland locations. For example, Lansing and Muskegon have similar latitudes but experience very different frequencies of hot and cold days. Lansing, located in the center of the state, averages 9.0 hot days and 6.9 very cold nights per year. In contrast, Muskegon, located along the western shore of Lake Michigan, averages only 3.4 hot days and 2.5 very cold nights. The moderating effects are even more striking along the shores of the colder waters of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. Sault Ste. Marie averages only 1.4 hot days per year, and there have been only 11 warm nights since 1888.