City in Michigan, United States
Detroit
Great Lakes city with cold winters and regular snow, heavier to the west in the lake-effect belts.
Detroit snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Detroit pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Detroit?
- State
- Michigan
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 186 m
- Population
- 639,111
When does it snow in Detroit?
In Detroit, snow falls on about 5 days in February in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 days | 5 days | 3 days | 2 days | <1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 2 days | 3 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Detroit month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4 | 25% | −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F) |
| February | 5 | 26% | −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F) |
| March | 3 | 14% | −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F) |
| April | 2 | 7% | 4 to 14 °C (39 to 57 °F) |
| May | <1 | 1% | 11 to 20 °C (52 to 68 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 16 to 26 °C (61 to 79 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 19 to 29 °C (66 to 84 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 18 to 27 °C (64 to 81 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 15 to 24 °C (59 to 75 °F) |
| October | 0 | 0% | 9 to 17 °C (48 to 63 °F) |
| November | 2 | 10% | 2 to 9 °C (36 to 48 °F) |
| December | 3 | 16% | −3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F) |
Snow in Detroit in December
In December, Detroit gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 16% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F).
Snow in Detroit in January
In January, Detroit gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 25% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F).
Snow in Detroit in February
In February, Detroit gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 26% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).
Snow in Detroit in March
In March, Detroit gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 14% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Detroit?
Of the last ten winters in Detroit, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 38% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2023/24, about 38% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 16 February 2021.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 69% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 138% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 91% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 126% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 111% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 113% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 101% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 62% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 84% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 106% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Detroit
Does Detroit have snow at Christmas?
Detroit had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 4 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 4 of those years.
Does Detroit have snow at New Year?
Detroit had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 2 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 6 of those years.
Does Detroit have snow in mid-February?
Detroit had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in 8 of those years.
Does Detroit have snow at Easter?
Detroit had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 1 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Detroit?
It snows on about 18 days a year in Detroit, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. February has the most, about 5 days.
What is the snowiest month in Detroit?
February is the snowiest month in Detroit, bringing about 26% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Detroit?
Of the last ten winters in Detroit, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 38% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2023/24, about 38% below average.
How cold does Detroit get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Detroit, with average daily lows of −6 °C (21 °F) and highs of 1 °C (34 °F).
Sources: Detroit on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates