Climate and average weather in Mackinac Island
In Mackinac Island, the summers are warm, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are very cold, snowy, and mostly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Mackinac Island typically varies from 13°F to 74°F, and is rarely below -5°F or above 82°F. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Mackinac Island for warm-weather activities is from early June to late September.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 74°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 14°
- Wettest
- Oct
- 3.7 in
- Driest
- Feb
- 1.6 in
- Rain / yr
- 33.2 in
- 124 wet days
- Daylight
- 8.5–15.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- 45.8°N
- Clearest
- Jul
- 50% cloud
Mackinac Island is city located on Mackinac Island in Michigan.
- Founded
- 1671
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Mackinac Island weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early June to late September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Mackinac Island, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.0 months, from May 31 to September 28, with daily high temperatures above 62°F. The hottest month of the year in Mackinac Island is July, with an average high of 74°F and low of 62°F.
The cool season lasts 3.1 months, from December 11 to March 15, with daily high temperatures below 33°F. The coldest month of the year in Mackinac Island is January, with an average low of 14°F and high of 24°F.
Days typically run about 11°F warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 24 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 56 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 66 | 54 | 42 | 32 |
| Avg low (°F) | 14 | 13 | 21 | 32 | 43 | 55 | 62 | 62 | 55 | 44 | 34 | 24 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 14 |
| Feb | 24 | 13 |
| Mar | 33 | 21 |
| Apr | 44 | 32 |
| May | 56 | 43 |
| Jun | 68 | 55 |
| Jul | 74 | 62 |
| Aug | 73 | 62 |
| Sep | 66 | 55 |
| Oct | 54 | 44 |
| Nov | 42 | 34 |
| Dec | 32 | 24 |
How hot and cold Mackinac Island really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -2°F (around February 6), with roughly 183 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 32°F) — 102 of them bitterly cold — worst in February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°F) | 24 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 56 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 66 | 54 | 42 | 32 |
| Air high (°F) | 24 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 56 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 66 | 54 | 42 | 32 |
| Feels-like low (°F) | 1 | 0 | 10 | 24 | 38 | 55 | 62 | 62 | 55 | 39 | 25 | 13 |
| Air low (°F) | 14 | 13 | 21 | 32 | 43 | 55 | 62 | 62 | 55 | 44 | 34 | 24 |
| Feels-like high (°F) | Air high (°F) | Feels-like low (°F) | Air low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 24 | 1 | 14 |
| Feb | 24 | 24 | 0 | 13 |
| Mar | 33 | 33 | 10 | 21 |
| Apr | 44 | 44 | 24 | 32 |
| May | 56 | 56 | 38 | 43 |
| Jun | 68 | 68 | 55 | 55 |
| Jul | 74 | 74 | 62 | 62 |
| Aug | 73 | 73 | 62 | 62 |
| Sep | 66 | 66 | 55 | 55 |
| Oct | 54 | 54 | 39 | 44 |
| Nov | 42 | 42 | 25 | 34 |
| Dec | 32 | 32 | 13 | 24 |
Average hourly temperature in Mackinac Island
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 74°F, and coldest before dawn in January, near 14°F.
Mackinac Island weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24° / 14° | 1.9 | 9.9 | 10.9 | 8.9 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 24° / 13° | 1.6 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 10.1 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 33° / 21° | 2.0 | 8.4 | 6.1 | 11.6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 44° / 32° | 2.9 | 9.7 | 3.2 | 13.3 | 0.9 |
| May | 56° / 43° | 2.9 | 10.2 | 0.3 | 14.7 | 3.7 |
| Jun | 68° / 55° | 3.0 | 10 | 0 | 15.5 | 6.3 |
| Jul | 74° / 62° | 3.3 | 10.9 | 0 | 15.2 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 73° / 62° | 3.4 | 10 | 0 | 13.9 | 6.9 |
| Sep | 66° / 55° | 3.5 | 11.4 | 0 | 12.3 | 5.9 |
| Oct | 54° / 44° | 3.7 | 13.5 | 0.2 | 10.7 | 3.0 |
| Nov | 42° / 34° | 2.6 | 11.6 | 5.7 | 9.3 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 32° / 24° | 2.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 8.5 | 0.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Mackinac Island gets about 33.2 in of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.8 months, from around Sep 3 to Dec 28, peaking in October at about 46% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Feb 11.
October is the wettest month by volume, with 3.7 in over about 14 wet days; February is the driest, with 1.6 in. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 32 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 33 | 37 | 43 | 39 | 36 |
| Rain days | 10 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 10 |
| Feb | 27 | 7 |
| Mar | 28 | 8 |
| Apr | 31 | 10 |
| May | 32 | 10 |
| Jun | 34 | 10 |
| Jul | 35 | 11 |
| Aug | 33 | 10 |
| Sep | 37 | 11 |
| Oct | 43 | 14 |
| Nov | 39 | 12 |
| Dec | 36 | 11 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Mackinac Island collects about 33.2 in of rain across 124 wet days — roughly 2.8 in in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. October is the wettest month with 3.7 in, while February is the driest at just 1.6 in. The three wettest months alone bring about 32% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Rain days | 10 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Snow days | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| Rainfall (in) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.9 | 10 | 11 |
| Feb | 1.6 | 7 | 7 |
| Mar | 2.0 | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 2.9 | 10 | 3 |
| May | 2.9 | 10 | 0 |
| Jun | 3.0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jul | 3.3 | 11 | 0 |
| Aug | 3.4 | 10 | 0 |
| Sep | 3.5 | 11 | 0 |
| Oct | 3.7 | 14 | 0 |
| Nov | 2.6 | 12 | 6 |
| Dec | 2.3 | 11 | 11 |
Snow in Mackinac Island
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
Mackinac Island averages about 45 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Oct 25 to May 10 — about 6.5 months.
January is snowiest, with roughly 11 days of snow and an estimated 16 in of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 70 in of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| Snowfall (in) | 16 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (in) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 16 |
| Feb | 7 | 14 |
| Mar | 6 | 10 |
| Apr | 3 | 7 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 6 | 7 |
| Dec | 11 | 16 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Mackinac Island, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around March 12 and lasts for 7.0 months, ending around October 11. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 59% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 12 and lasts for 5.0 months, ending around March 11. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 87% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 15 | 30 | 38 | 42 | 45 | 51 | 59 | 57 | 51 | 35 | 20 | 13 |
| Cloudier (%) | 85 | 70 | 62 | 58 | 55 | 49 | 41 | 43 | 49 | 65 | 80 | 87 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | 85 |
| Feb | 30 | 70 |
| Mar | 38 | 62 |
| Apr | 42 | 58 |
| May | 45 | 55 |
| Jun | 51 | 49 |
| Jul | 59 | 41 |
| Aug | 57 | 43 |
| Sep | 51 | 49 |
| Oct | 35 | 65 |
| Nov | 20 | 80 |
| Dec | 13 | 87 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 11, brings about 15 h 30 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 8 h 30 min — a swing of roughly 7 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.1 | 11.6 | 13.3 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 13.9 | 12.3 | 10.7 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 8:22 | 7:51 | 7:00 | 6:00 | 5:13 | 4:53 | 5:08 | 5:44 | 6:23 | 7:03 | 7:47 | 8:20 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:13 | 5:55 | 6:36 | 7:18 | 7:56 | 8:24 | 8:20 | 7:41 | 6:42 | 5:44 | 5:00 | 4:49 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.9 | 8:22 | 5:13 |
| Feb | 10.1 | 7:51 | 5:55 |
| Mar | 11.6 | 7:00 | 6:36 |
| Apr | 13.3 | 6:00 | 7:18 |
| May | 14.7 | 5:13 | 7:56 |
| Jun | 15.5 | 4:53 | 8:24 |
| Jul | 15.2 | 5:08 | 8:20 |
| Aug | 13.9 | 5:44 | 7:41 |
| Sep | 12.3 | 6:23 | 6:42 |
| Oct | 10.7 | 7:03 | 5:44 |
| Nov | 9.3 | 7:47 | 5:00 |
| Dec | 8.5 | 8:20 | 4:49 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Mackinac Island averages about 7 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 13 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 7.0 months, from around Mar 5 to Oct 4. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 12 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is January, down near 2 sunny days — about 81% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 2 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 5 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 8 | Mixed |
| Apr | 9 | Mixed |
| May | 9 | Mixed |
| Jun | 10 | Mixed |
| Jul | 13 | Mixed |
| Aug | 12 | Mixed |
| Sep | 10 | Mixed |
| Oct | 5 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 3 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 2 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Mackinac Island, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 3.4 months, from around June 10 to September 22. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 50% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around September 23 to June 9, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 57 | 22 | 24 | 57 | 94 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 31 | 31 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 96 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 57 | 23 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Jul | 22 | 28 | 31 | 17 | 2 |
| Aug | 24 | 29 | 31 | 15 | 1 |
| Sep | 57 | 24 | 14 | 5 | 0 |
| Oct | 94 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Mackinac Island is typically light breeze, near 10 mph, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.4 months, from around Sep 20 to Mar 2. The windiest month is November, averaging about 12 mph (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Mar 3 to Sep 19, with June the calmest month at about 9 mph.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | light breeze |
| Feb | 10 | light breeze |
| Mar | 10 | light breeze |
| Apr | 10 | light breeze |
| May | 9 | light breeze |
| Jun | 9 | light breeze |
| Jul | 9 | light breeze |
| Aug | 9 | light breeze |
| Sep | 10 | light breeze |
| Oct | 11 | light breeze |
| Nov | 12 | light breeze |
| Dec | 12 | light breeze |
Best time to visit Mackinac Island
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Mackinac Island throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid September, Mackinac Island is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 64°F and 82°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Mackinac Island for general outdoor tourist activities is from early June to late September, with a peak score in the first week of August.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | good | good | good | good | poor | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.0 | poor |
| Feb | 0.0 | poor |
| Mar | 0.0 | poor |
| Apr | 0.9 | poor |
| May | 3.7 | fair |
| Jun | 6.2 | good |
| Jul | 6.9 | good |
| Aug | 6.9 | good |
| Sep | 5.9 | good |
| Oct | 3.0 | poor |
| Nov | 0.5 | poor |
| Dec | 0.0 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 75°F and 93°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Mackinac Island for hot-weather activities is from late June to late August, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Mackinac Island, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 74°F), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 24°F), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.
In July, Mackinac Island sees daytime highs around 74°F and nights near 62°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Mackinac Island
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 66°F and coldest in February near 34°F.
The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 35 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 41 | 52 | 62 | 66 | 61 | 53 | 44 | 38 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | Bracing |
| Feb | 34 | Bracing |
| Mar | 34 | Bracing |
| Apr | 36 | Bracing |
| May | 41 | Bracing |
| Jun | 52 | Bracing |
| Jul | 62 | Cool |
| Aug | 66 | Cool |
| Sep | 61 | Cool |
| Oct | 53 | Bracing |
| Nov | 44 | Bracing |
| Dec | 38 | Bracing |
UV index (midday) in Mackinac Island by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mackinac Island peaks around June 19 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 2 | Low |
| Mar | 3 | Moderate |
| Apr | 5 | Moderate |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 7 | High |
| Sep | 5 | Moderate |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Average hourly UV index in Mackinac Island
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 2.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 5.5 | 0 |
| May | 7.5 | 3 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 8 | 4.5 |
| Aug | 7 | 2.5 |
| Sep | 5 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Growing season
The growing season in Mackinac Island typically lasts about 220 days, from around April 16 to November 21 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from May 3 to October 31.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 7 | 5 | 14 | 53 | 97 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 | 62 | 20 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 31 |
| Feb | 5 | 28 |
| Mar | 14 | 31 |
| Apr | 53 | 30 |
| May | 97 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 97 | 0 |
| Nov | 62 | 29 |
| Dec | 20 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 50°F: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Mackinac Island banks about 1,854 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°F·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 350 | 568 | 540 | 321 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°F·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 40 |
| Jun | 350 |
| Jul | 568 |
| Aug | 540 |
| Sep | 321 |
| Oct | 37 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Mackinac Island receives about 4.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 1.1 and 6.7 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Mar 12 to Sep 17. The brightest month is June, averaging about 6.6 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 1.2 kWh/m² — roughly 82% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 1.6 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Level | Dim | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Dim | Dim |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.6 | Dim |
| Feb | 2.8 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.2 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.3 | Bright |
| May | 6.1 | Intense |
| Jun | 6.6 | Intense |
| Jul | 6.5 | Intense |
| Aug | 5.5 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.1 | Bright |
| Oct | 2.6 | Moderate |
| Nov | 1.5 | Dim |
| Dec | 1.1 | Dim |
Where is Mackinac Island?
Mackinac Island sits at 45.8°N, 84.6°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Sault Ste. Marie, 47 mi away.
Topography around Mackinac Island
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Mackinac Island.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Mackinac Island has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 351 ft around an average of 614 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 351 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,037 ft.
The land around Mackinac Island is covered by water (72%) and trees (24%) within 2 miles, water (75%) and trees (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (48%) and water (44%) within 50 miles.
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
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 Mackinac Island (45.8492°, -84.6189°, elevation 0 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).