Sterling Heights, Michigan Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 78 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Sterling Heights weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 5Heavy Drizzle38%0.06″87°60°—
- SaturdayJun 6Light Drizzle56%0.02″84°68°-3°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——79°61°-5°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——80°61°+1°
- TuesdayJun 9Drizzle39%—82°68°+2°
- WednesdayJun 10Light Drizzle33%—73°69°-9°
- ThursdayJun 11Heavy Drizzle19%—84°68°+11°
AQI 78 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI down 38 over the last 6 hours — air quality is improving sharply. PM2.5 at 12.6 µg/m³ (AQI 58) with a 0.95 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 33. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~75%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 33
- UV peak
- 3.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 7
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 12.6 µg/m³ (AQI 58) with a 0.95 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.95
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 4:39 AM
- Moonset
- 2:31 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Fireflies rise from the lawn
Sterling Heights at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 7°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 1 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 5, 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 has placed Sterling Heights in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3MRGLMarginal Risk
Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.
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.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | — | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | — | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Sterling Heights's warmest month is July (~74°F mean) and its coldest is January (~26°F). Rainfall peaks in May (3.7 inches) and bottoms out in February (2.1 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 2.1″ | 7 |
| February | 28° | 2.1″ | 7 |
| March | 37° | 2.5″ | 8 |
| April | 48° | 3.2″ | 11 |
| May | 59° | 3.7″ | 12 |
| June | 69° | 3.7″ | 12 |
| July | 74° | 3.4″ | 11 |
| August | 72° | 3.5″ | 12 |
| September | 65° | 3.0″ | 10 |
| October | 53° | 2.8″ | 9 |
| November | 41° | 2.6″ | 9 |
| December | 31° | 2.4″ | 8 |
Regional context
Sterling Heights sits within a warm-summer humid continental climate region, a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Detroit, MI, Grand Rapids, MI, Lansing, MI, Ann Arbor, MI, Flint, 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?
- Sterling Heights's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Sterling Heights?
- May is the wettest month with about 3.7 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 35 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Sterling Heights?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 74°F.
- What is the coldest month in Sterling Heights?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 26°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Sterling Heights?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-May); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Sterling Heights get?
- Sterling Heights averages about 116 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Sterling Heights?
- Sterling Heights's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Sterling Heights, Michigan falls within a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means settle near 26°F while July averages 74°F — a 48°F seasonal swing.
Over the course of a year, Sterling Heights collects about 35 inches of precipitation across roughly 116 rainy days.
Latitude (42.6°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation set the annual rhythm, shaping what grows, when frost is likely, and the day-to-day weather story.