🚗 Detroit Weather

Four seasons under Great Lakes skies

Detroit's humid continental climate gives it four clearly defined seasons, moderated just enough by the surrounding Great Lakes to blunt the sharpest extremes felt farther inland. The lakes' biggest fingerprint is on the sky: like much of the region, Detroit endures long, gray, cloudy winters when sunshine becomes a scarce commodity.

Cold, gray winters

From December through February, highs sit in the low-to-mid 30s°F (around 0–1°C), and overcast skies dominate as moisture streams off the lakes. Snowfall is steady rather than spectacular — the city sits just far enough from the lakes' downwind shores to escape the heaviest lake-effect dumps — averaging around 42 inches (107 cm) a season.

Warm, humid summers

Summers are pleasantly warm and humid, with July highs around 84°F (29°C) and occasional thunderstorms. Heat waves do occur, but the lakes usually keep the worst of the heat in check. Early autumn is often the year's most settled stretch — warm days, cool nights, and clearing skies.

Detroit averages about 34 inches (860 mm) of precipitation a year, fairly evenly spread. Spring tends to be the wettest and most changeable season, while the lakes slow the arrival of both spring warmth and autumn cold.

Great Lakes moderation, clipper cold

Surrounded by the Great Lakes, Detroit gets a measure of moderation — the water delays autumn's chill and softens summer's peaks. Still, July highs reach the mid-80s°F (around 29°C) with humid stretches when Gulf air pushes north.

Winter is the long season here, dominated by Alberta clippers that race in from Canada with sharp cold and quick bursts of snow. The lakes add cloud cover, making Detroit one of the cloudier US cities in winter. Spring arrives slowly, held back by the still-cold Great Lakes into May.