Detroit weather in September

In September, Detroit sees average daytime highs of 72°F and overnight lows near 58°F, with 2.7 in of rain across 8.3 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 77°F in the first days to 67°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Detroit's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Detroit's year-round climate.

Daytime high
72°
4th warmest
Overnight low
58°
9th coldest
Rainfall
2.7 in
8.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:18 AM – 6:35 PM
Cloud cover
53%
1st clearest
Wind
9 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Detroit is city in and county seat of Wayne County, and largest city in State of Michigan, United States.

Density
1,745/km²
people per km²
Founded
1701

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 77°F in the first days to 67°F by the end.

A typical September day in Detroit reaches about 72°F in the afternoon and slips back to 58°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 63°F and 81°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 7°F cooler than August and about 13°F warmer than October.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17763
27763
37762
47662
57662
67662
77661
87561
97560
107460
117460
127459
137359
147358
157358
167258
177257
187257
197156
207156
217056
227055
236955
246955
256954
266854
276853
286753
296753
306752

How September really feels in Detroit

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

September sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Detroit weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 20°2.510.25.99.30.0
Feb33° / 21°2.18.35.410.30.0
Mar43° / 29°2.69.63.811.60.6
Apr55° / 41°3.612113.13.4
May67° / 52°3.512.8014.45.7
Jun77° / 63°3.410.90156.6
Jul81° / 67°3.110.7014.86.4
Aug79° / 65°3.09.6013.76.8
Sep72° / 58°2.78.3012.37.0
Oct60° / 46°2.78.9010.84.8
Nov47° / 36°2.791.59.61.5
Dec36° / 27°2.59.14.190.0

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15941
25941
35941
45941
55842
65842
75842
85842
95743
105743
115644
125545
135644
145545
155545
165446
175446
185446
195446
205446
215446
225347
235347
245347
255248
265248
275149
285149
295248
305149

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Detroit gets around 2.7 in of rain over 8.3 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 28% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
129
229
329
429
528
628
728
828
927
1027
1127
1227
1326
1426
1526
1626
1726
1826
1926
2026
2126
2227
2328
2428
2529
2630
2730
2830
2930
3030

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of September feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 45% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 14% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1202426237
2222426226
3232426216
4252426205
5272425195
6292425184
7312424174
8322424164
9342423163
10362423153
11382322142
12392322142
13412321132
14432321121
15442320121
16462319111
17482218111
18492218101
19512217100
2053221690
2155221580
2256221480
2358221370
2459221270
2562211160
2662211160
2764201060
286620950
296719950
306819850

Wind in September

Winds average 9 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:02 AM to 6:34 AM, and sunset from 7:02 PM to 6:09 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.06:027:02
213.06:037:00
312.96:046:59
412.96:056:57
512.86:066:55
612.86:076:53
712.76:086:51
812.76:096:50
912.66:106:48
1012.66:126:46
1112.56:136:44
1212.56:146:42
1312.46:156:40
1412.46:166:39
1512.36:176:37
1612.36:186:35
1712.26:196:33
1812.26:206:31
1912.16:216:29
2012.16:226:28
2112.06:246:26
2212.06:256:24
2311.96:266:22
2411.96:276:20
2511.86:286:18
2611.86:296:17
2711.76:306:15
2811.76:316:13
2911.66:326:11
3011.66:346:09

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.48 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 4.43 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
34.9Bright
44.9Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.0Bright
254.0Moderate
264.0Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.8Moderate
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Detroit?

Our two travel scores rate September for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit Detroit for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Detroit in September

From September's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In September, Detroit sees daytime highs around 72°F and nights near 58°F. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Detroit in September

The nearest coast averages about 68°F in September — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 9 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 33°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 2 to Sep 15 — about 2.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan34Bracing
Feb33Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr41Bracing
May52Bracing
Jun64Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct57Bracing
Nov47Bracing
Dec39Bracing

UV index in Detroit in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Detroit peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 20UV 9Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Detroit in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where September falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Detroit is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1216 µg/m³Oct 239 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Detroit?

Detroit sits at 42.3°N, 83.0°W, 600 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Windsor, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Detroit

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Detroit.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Detroit has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 187 ft around an average of 604 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 915 ft.

The land around Detroit is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (44%) and trees (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (28%), water (27%) and cropland (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
187 ft
10 miles
200 ft
50 miles
915 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
September weather nearby: Windsor 2.5 mi · Hamtramck 4.3 mi · LaSalle 6.2 mi · Dearborn 6.8 mi · Tecumseh 8.1 mi · Lincoln Park 8.7 mi · Hazel Park 9.3 mi · Wyandotte 9.9 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Detroit (42.3314°, -83.0457°, elevation 600 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).