, with very cold winters and warm to hot summers, during which there are quite frequent thunderstorms.
The city is located at 190 meters (625 feet) above sea level, in the Great Lakes region, north of Lake Erie and south of Lake Huron. The two lakes are connected by a river, also called Detroit, which near the city widens into a smaller lake, Lake St. Clair. Across the river lies the Canadian city of Windsor.
of the coldest month (January) is of -3.5 °C (25.8 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 23.4 °C (74 °F).
amounts to 870 millimeters (34.3 inches) per year.
, from late November to early March, is very cold.
are frequent, and at times can be abundant. On average, 114 centimeters (45 inches) of snow fall per year. The heaviest snowfall in one day occurred in December 1974, when 46.5 cm (18.5 in) of snow fell. However, snow is not as abundant as on the southern and western shores of Lake Erie (see Cleveland, Buffalo), which are directly exposed to the wet winds coming from the lake.
are intense, in fact, the temperature drops below -20 °C (-4 °F) almost every year. The record cold, -29.5 °C (-21 °F), occurred in January 1984. In 1976-77, the temperature remained consistently below freezing even during the day from December 27 to February 8.
However, there may be short periods when the temperature exceeds 10/12 °C (50/54 °F) even in the middle of winter.
, from June to August, is hot and sunny, although thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon.
. Typically, the temperature reaches 35 °C (95 °F) on the hottest days of the year, although the record is 39.5 °C (103 °F), recorded in late June 1988.
, from mid-March to May and from September to mid-November, are unsettled seasons, with fairly frequent rains and sudden changes in temperature. However, there are also stable and pleasant periods.
hours per year. Therefore, even though the winter is cold and the summer is rainy, the sun shines for a good number of hours.
Erie ranges between 1.5 °C (34.5 °F) and 22.5 °C (72.5 °F). During cold spells, the lake can freeze partially. In February 2015, which was a particularly cold month, it almost completely froze.
The best times to visit Detroit are spring and fall, especially the months of May and September.
In October, you can admire the beautiful colors of the trees losing their leaves (the phenomenon called
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-3.5 °C, with a minimum of
-7.1 °C and a maximum of
0.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-17.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-28.9 °C in January 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
11.5 °C. However, it reached
18 °C in January 2008.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 74%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.1 kph.
February is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-2.2 °C, with a minimum of
-6.2 °C and a maximum of
1.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-16 °C. However, it dropped to
-25.6 °C in February 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13 °C. However, it reached
21.1 °C in February 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
16.4 kph.
March is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
2.9 °C, with a minimum of
-1.9 °C and a maximum of
7.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-11 °C. However, it dropped to
-19.4 °C in March 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
21 °C. However, it reached
30 °C in March 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 50% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
15.9 kph.
April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.4 °C, with a minimum of
3.9 °C and a maximum of
14.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-8.4 °C in April 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
26.5 °C. However, it reached
30.6 °C in April 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
16.2 kph.
May is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.7 °C, with a minimum of
10.1 °C and a maximum of
21.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-2.8 °C in May 2020.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30.5 °C. However, it reached
35 °C in May 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 61% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
14 kph.
June is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
21.1 °C, with a minimum of
15.7 °C and a maximum of
26.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
8.5 °C. However, it dropped to
4 °C in June 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
37.2 °C in June 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 10 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
12.9 kph.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
23.4 °C, with a minimum of
18 °C and a maximum of
28.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12.5 °C. However, it dropped to
7.8 °C in July 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34 °C. However, it reached
38.9 °C in July 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 10 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 69% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
12.2 kph.
August is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
22.4 °C, with a minimum of
17.3 °C and a maximum of
27.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12 °C. However, it dropped to
9 °C in August 2009.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
37.2 °C in August 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
11.4 kph.
September is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
18.3 °C, with a minimum of
13.1 °C and a maximum of
23.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.6 °C in September 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32 °C. However, it reached
36.7 °C in September 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
80 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 61% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
11.8 kph.
October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
11.7 °C, with a minimum of
6.7 °C and a maximum of
16.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.3 °C in October 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27 °C. However, it reached
32.2 °C in October 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 52% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
14.3 kph.
November is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
5.1 °C, with a minimum of
1.1 °C and a maximum of
9.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-6.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-13.9 °C in November 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19.5 °C. However, it reached
25.6 °C in November 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 3.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 36% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
15.8 kph.
December is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-0.4 °C, with a minimum of
-3.7 °C and a maximum of
2.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-13 °C. However, it dropped to
-20 °C in December 2004.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13.5 °C. However, it reached
20 °C in December 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 5 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 31% of the time.
The average humidity is 75%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
16 kph.