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Sterling Heights, Michigan Weather

Night falls a minute earlier. Day 43 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Sterling Heights weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Sterling Heights, MI
Sunday, August 2 at 10:59 AM
69
°
Overcast
Feels like
71°
Humidity
86%
Wind
9 mph
Sunrise
2:25 AM
Sunset
4:51 PM
Sterling Heights, MI
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastSterling Heights, MI: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 60 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit with a 51% chance of precipitation at 1 PM.
L 60°H 73°
Sterling Heights, MI
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Aug 2
    Rain
    83%
    0.27″
    73°65°—
  2. Monday
    Aug 3
    Clear
    —
    —
    83°60°+10°
  3. Tuesday
    Aug 4
    Clear
    —
    —
    86°58°+3°
  4. Wednesday
    Aug 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    91°67°+5°
  5. Thursday
    Aug 6
    Drizzle
    51%
    —
    88°72°-3°
  6. Friday
    Aug 7
    Overcast
    45%
    —
    93°68°+5°
  7. Saturday
    Aug 8
    Light Drizzle
    18%
    —
    91°73°-2°
Sterling Heights, MI
Next 24 hours · Mild now
56°66°76°12p6p12a6anow 69°high 73°low 60°PRECIP %
Sterling Heights, MI
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
NNE
019° · backing 34°
Direction
NNE
019°
Sustained
9
mph
Gust
17
mph
Peak 24h
26
avg 7 mph
Beaufort · 3 · GENTLE BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 7 mph · pk 26 mph @ 8:00a
0102030MPHB1B2B3B4B5B6-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 248SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Light breeze backing 34° from the nne.
Sterling Heights, MI
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
986.5
+0.9 mb in 3h · rising · 29.13 inHg
Now
986.5
mb
3h
+0.9
mb
12h
-0.9
mb
24h
-2.0
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 985–988
9809859909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW988.2985.2986.2
The low is filling — pressure climbing out of storm territory.
Sterling Heights, MI
Air quality
62
AQI
Moderate
↓-5 in 6h

AQI 62 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI down 5 over the last 6 hours (gradual decline). PM2.5 at 16.0 µg/m³, PM10 at 16.1 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERModerate
16.0μg/m³
PM 10Good
16μg/m³
NO₂Good
12μg/m³
OzoneModerate
68μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.3

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 32. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.

Present
AQI 32
UV peak
0.4 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
overcast
Projected peak
AQI 4

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 16.0 µg/m³, PM10 at 16.1 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

PM2.5/PM10
0.99
Wind
light
Recent rain
1h in last 6h
Pattern
background

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³630
Sterling Heights, MI
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
30.2mi
UNLIMITED
61 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
14:59 UTC · Sterling Heights, MI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
14:59 UTC · Sterling Heights, MI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Sterling Heights, MI
Satellite · infrared · animated
Sterling Heights, MI
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Sterling Heights, MI
Almanac · Sunday, August 2
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Civil dawn
5:54 AM
Sunrise
2:25 AM
Daylight
14h 26m
Sunset
4:51 PM
Civil dusk
9:24 PM
Planting note
Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.
Sterling Heights, MI
The moon
Waning Gibbous
84% illuminated
Moonrise
10:16 PM
Moonset
10:36 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Sterling Heights, MI
Microseason
Aug 1–5

Night falls a minute earlier

celestial
Jan 159% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Sterling Heights at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 9°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 1 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Aug 1–5
  • Planting window: Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.

ZIP codes: 48310, 48312, 48313, 48314

16-Day Forecast — Sterling Heights

  1. Sun73°65°83%
  2. Mon83°60°0%
  3. Tue86°58°0%
  4. Wed91°67°6%
  5. Thu88°72°51%
  6. Fri93°68°45%
  7. Sat91°73°18%
  8. Sun101°75°30%
  9. Mon90°72°30%
  10. Tue86°67°22%
  11. Wed75°69°23%
  12. Thu93°69°31%
  13. Fri94°76°39%
  14. Sat95°78°26%
  15. Sun86°66°16%
  16. Mon76°68°18%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Sterling Heights

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of August 2, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Sterling Heights

SPC includes Sterling Heights in the general thunderstorm area today — no severe risk, but storms are possible.

  • TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
  • DAY 3NONENo severe risk

Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

Sun & seasons in Sterling Heights

Sterling Heights sits in Macomb County, where the year’s longest day runs 15h 19m of daylight and its shortest just 9h 3m — a swing of +6h 16m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Detroit, the state’s largest city, lies about 14 miles to the SSW. The nearest town Sterling Heights tracks is Warren, roughly 6 miles to the S.

Air quality in Sterling Heights’s county has held roughly steady since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2020 (median AQI 36). See the full air-quality history for Sterling Heights.

January 1–5: The year turns in silence.January 6–10: Ice thickens on still water.January 11–15: Shortest shadows lengthen.January 16–20: Pheasants begin to call.January 21–25: Springs begin to thaw.January 26–31: Chickadees announce dawn.February 1–5: East wind softens the frost.February 6–10: Sap begins to rise.February 11–15: First snowdrops appear.February 16–20: Red-winged blackbirds return.February 21–25: Rain begins to replace snow.February 26–28: Skunk cabbage pushes through ice.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the reservoir.March 6–10: Crocuses open to weak sun.March 11–15: Peepers call from the marsh.March 16–20: Woodcocks spiral at dusk.March 21–25: Equinox — light overtakes dark.March 26–31: Forsythia opens along the fences.April 1–5: Cherry blossoms drift like snow.April 6–10: Warblers appear in the understory.April 11–15: Magnolias bloom and fall in a day.April 16–20: Dogwoods float above the forest.April 21–25: Lilacs perfume the evening.April 26–30: Last frost releases the garden.May 1–5: Warblers flood the Ramble.May 6–10: Tulip poplars light their candles.May 11–15: Shad run up the rivers.May 16–20: Roses open along the stoops.May 21–25: Firefly scouts appear at dusk.May 26–31: Strawberries ripen in the sun.June 1–5: Fireflies rise from the lawn.June 6–10: Elderflowers open in hedgerows.June 11–15: Solstice approaches — longest light.June 16–20: Honeysuckle sweetens the night.June 21–25: Solstice — the sun stands still.June 26–30: Lightning bugs drift through oaks.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Queen Anne's lace lines the roads.July 11–15: Thunder builds each afternoon.July 16–20: Corn reaches for the tassels.July 21–25: Dog days settle in the haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their chorus.August 1–5: Night falls a minute earlier.August 6–10: Sunflowers face the morning.August 11–15: Goldenrod begins to bloom.August 16–20: Crickets pulse through warm nights.August 21–25: First cool morning surprises.August 26–31: Monarchs stage for flight.September 1–5: School buses reappear.September 6–10: Asters purple the roadsides.September 11–15: Hawk migration over the Hudson.September 16–20: Equinox — dark overtakes light.September 21–25: Apples hang heavy on the branch.September 26–30: Geese begin to chevron south.October 1–5: Witch hazel blooms as others fade.October 6–10: Maples begin to blaze.October 11–15: Frost paints the garden black.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Leaves rattle down the gutters.October 26–31: Clocks fall back — dusk at five.November 1–5: Ginkgos drop overnight.November 6–10: Last leaves cling stubbornly.November 11–15: Juncos arrive from the north.November 16–20: Bare branches reveal the sky.November 21–25: First flurries dust the rooftops.November 26–30: Woodsmoke curls through the block.December 1–5: Darkness settles before dinner.December 6–10: Holly and winterberry persist.December 11–15: Shortest day approaches.December 16–20: Ice begins to form at the edges.December 21–25: Solstice — the sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · August 1–5

Night falls a minute earlier

Sunset retreats perceptibly — daylight shortening speeds up.

Day 214 of 365 · Wedge 43 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

Sterling Heights peaks at about 75°F in July and bottoms near 24°F in January; April brings the heaviest rain (3.4 inches) and January the least (1.9 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January24°1.9″16
February25°2.0″14
March35°2.7″17
April48°3.4″18
May58°3.2″18
June69°3.3″16
July75°3.2″14
August74°3.0″13
September67°2.8″13
October55°2.5″13
November40°2.7″16
December29°2.5″17

Regional context

Per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Sterling Heights runs from a 24°F January mean to 75°F in July, a 52°F seasonal spread, with near 33.1 inches of precipitation across about 186 wet days.

No season owns Sterling Heights's rain: April reaches 3.4 inches across 18.1 days and January keeps 1.9 inches on 15.8, an even spread through Sterling Heights's year. That lines Sterling Heights up with places like Utica, MI, Fraser, MI and Troy, MI, fed by overlapping storm tracks.

Sterling Heights reaches its last hard frost near late-May; that is the cue for kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Tomatoes and peppers do best set out two weeks later in Sterling Heights, once nights clear the mid-40s°F. The season ends by early-October in Sterling Heights, once hard frosts set back in. A creek-bottom lot in Sterling Heights can lag Sterling Heights's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.

Similar climates: Utica, MI, Fraser, MI, Troy, MI, Warren, MI, Madison Heights, MI.

Naturalist notes

By mid-May, common milkweed stems push through the soil as the last frost retreats, timed with the arrival of monarch butterflies completing their northward migration.

Late May twilight often aligns with the first evening lightning bug displays of the season, flickering low over lawns and field edges as air temperatures stay above 50°F.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Sterling Heights?
Frost typically leaves Sterling Heights by mid-May and returns to Sterling Heights near mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights sees its heaviest rain in April (around 3.4 inches), part of roughly 33 inches a year.
What is the warmest month in Sterling Heights?
The warmest stretch in Sterling Heights comes in July, around 75°F on average.
What is the coldest month in Sterling Heights?
On average January is the chilliest month in Sterling Heights, about 24°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights's last frost (mid-May) cues hardy greens; in Sterling Heights, hold heat-lovers two weeks past.
How many rainy days does Sterling Heights get?
Sterling Heights averages about 186 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights sits in the USDA zone set by January lows near 24°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Sterling Heights?
Sterling Heights's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Sterling Heights?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Sterling Heights in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Sterling Heights?
Current conditions for Sterling Heights and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Sterling Heights forecast updated?
The Sterling Heights forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Sterling Heights?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Sterling Heights are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Sterling Heights?
The next few days in Sterling Heights's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Sterling Heights, Michigan occupies a warm-summer humid continental zone, with January means near 24°F and July around 75°F — a 51°F swing.

In a typical year Sterling Heights records about 33 inches of precipitation on around 186 days.

Latitude 42.6°N gives Sterling Heights its 51°F swing, and with it the rhythm of Sterling Heights's growing season.

All cities in Michigan →

Detroit, MI weather →

ZIP codes in Sterling Heights

  • 48310
  • 48313
  • 48312
  • 48314
  • 48311

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.