Lansing climate
Lansing (Michigan, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C48 °F, and about 885 mm35 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lansing climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −130 | −916 | −523 | 522.0 | 30 |
| Feb | 032 | −916 | −424 | 542.1 | 27 |
| Mar | 744 | −425 | 134 | 542.1 | 25 |
| Apr | 1457 | 135 | 846 | 803.2 | 13 |
| May | 2069 | 847 | 1458 | 1084.2 | 1 |
| Jun | 2578 | 1457 | 2067 | 913.6 | 0 |
| Jul | 2883 | 1762 | 2272 | 833.3 | 0 |
| Aug | 2882 | 1660 | 2271 | 853.4 | 0 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 752.9 | 0 |
| Oct | 1660 | 541 | 1051 | 863.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 847 | −130 | 438 | 612.4 | 18 |
| Dec | 134 | −622 | −228 | 552.2 | 28 |
| Year | 2883 | −916 | 948 | 88535 | 146 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88% | 77% | 1.5 | 9:22 |
| Feb | 86% | 73% | 2.4 | 10:29 |
| Mar | 80% | 67% | 3.6 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 76% | 64% | 4.6 | 13:20 |
| May | 76% | 64% | 5.4 | 14:37 |
| Jun | 76% | 56% | 6.2 | 15:18 |
| Jul | 73% | 49% | 6.3 | 15:01 |
| Aug | 72% | 50% | 5.4 | 13:54 |
| Sep | 73% | 49% | 4.3 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 77% | 63% | 2.7 | 10:57 |
| Nov | 82% | 69% | 1.8 | 9:40 |
| Dec | 88% | 81% | 1.2 | 9:03 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Lansing is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 17 °C62 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −1 °C30 °F and lows −9 °C16 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27.6 °C49.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 885 mm35 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 32% of the annual total. The wettest month is May (108 mm4.2 in), the driest is January (52 mm2.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in August to 88% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 49%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in August to 15 km/h (9 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Lansing
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 75 mm2.9 in to 91 mm3.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −1 °C30 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Lansing
- Winter (December–February) — highs −130 to 1 °C34 °F, lows −916 to −6 °C22 °F, about 54 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 744 to 20 °C69 °F, lows −425 to 8 °C47 °F, about 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2578 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1457 to 17 °C62 °F, about 87 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 847 to 24 °C75 °F, lows −130 to 12 °C53 °F, about 74 mm2.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Lansing compares
Compared with Ann Arbor, about 84 km to the southeast, Lansing has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation.
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Lansing is the 210th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 132nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Windsor (Canada, Dfa), Brantford (Canada, Dfa) and Brampton (Canada, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Ann Arbor 84 km · 9 °C48 °F · 878 mm35 in
- Grand Rapids 94 km · 9 °C48 °F · 967 mm38 in
- Windsor 135 km · 9 °C49 °F · 848 mm33 in
- Toledo 145 km · 10 °C51 °F · 906 mm36 in
- South Bend 182 km · 10 °C50 °F · 994 mm39 in
- Fort Wayne 184 km · 10 °C51 °F · 966 mm38 in
- London 272 km · 9 °C48 °F · 660 mm26 in
- Chicago 273 km · 10 °C50 °F · 982 mm39 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lansing?
July is the warmest month in Lansing, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (62 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lansing?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -1 °C (30 °F) and an average low of -9 °C (16 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lansing?
May is the wettest month with about 108 mm (4.2 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 52 mm (2.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Lansing?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.