Climate in this area is northern continental and influenced to a considerable extent by the proximity of Lake Superior. The normal annual precipitation is 30.95" inches across most of the county. Precipitation can vary greatly across the county in any given rainfall due to the influence of Lake Superior.
The average frost free date in the spring for most of the county is May 14th depending on the distance and elevation from Lake Superior. On the average, the first temperatures of 32 degrees or lower in the fall is October 20, depending on distance from Lake Superior. Areas directly adjacent to the lake on average experiences the first 32 degree day between September 30 to October 30; compared to more inland areas that generally have frost in mid to late September. The following table shows the extremes in the average annual growing season within the county.
LOCATION LAST SPRING FREEZE FIRST FALL FREEZE
Champion MI June 14 August 31
Ishpeming MI May 28 September 21
Marquette MI May 14 October 20
The annual growing days range from 134 days up to 182 days. This frost free period gives an average growing season of 159 days for much of the county.
The average seasonal snowfall for Marquette County varies greatly by topography and distance to the Lake Superior. Basically, the snowfall averages from 139.9" in northern portions of the county to as low as 60" yearly in the farthest southern portion of the county.
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