East Lansing, Michigan Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
East Lansing weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Partly Cloudy——83°47°—
- ThursdayJun 4Overcast——86°54°+3°
- FridayJun 5Heavy Rain75%0.50″81°66°-5°
- SaturdayJun 6Drizzle75%0.02″77°65°-4°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——78°60°+1°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——80°56°+2°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle15%—81°63°+1°
Ozone at AQI 38. AQI up 15 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
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 38. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 38
- UV peak
- 0.0 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 5
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).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 4:16 AM
- Moonset
- 1:29 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies rise from the lawn
East Lansing at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 4°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 2 (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 4, 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 — East Lansing
SPC has placed East Lansing in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
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.
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
East Lansing's warmest month is July (~72°F mean) and its coldest is January (~24°F). Rainfall peaks in June (3.8 inches) and bottoms out in February (1.7 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 2.1″ | 5 |
| February | 26° | 1.7″ | 5 |
| March | 35° | 2.1″ | 6 |
| April | 47° | 3.3″ | 8 |
| May | 58° | 3.7″ | 7 |
| June | 68° | 3.8″ | 6 |
| July | 72° | 2.9″ | 6 |
| August | 70° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| September | 63° | 2.8″ | 5 |
| October | 51° | 3.2″ | 7 |
| November | 40° | 2.5″ | 5 |
| December | 30° | 1.9″ | 5 |
Regional context
East Lansing 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.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in East Lansing?
- East Lansing's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in East Lansing?
- June is the wettest month with about 3.8 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 33 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in East Lansing?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 72°F.
- What is the coldest month in East Lansing?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 24°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in East Lansing?
- 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 East Lansing get?
- East Lansing averages about 71 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is East Lansing?
- East Lansing'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
East Lansing, Michigan sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 24°F while July averages 72°F — a 48°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, East Lansing receives about 33 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 71 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (42.7°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.