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Best time to visit Detroit

The best time to visit Detroit is September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.

Detroit, Michigan, United States

°C

mm

−10°0°10°20°30°40°
0100200300400500
  • Average daily high and low
  • Precipitation
  • Good month
  • Best month
  • Made good or best by an event
Average daily high and low temperature, average precipitation and each month's verdict
MonthAverage daily highAverage daily lowPrecipitationVerdict
January0 °C / 32 °F-5.9 °C / 21 °F63 mm / 2.5 inneither best nor good
February0.9 °C / 34 °F-6 °C / 21 °F60 mm / 2.4 inneither best nor good
March6.8 °C / 44 °F-1 °C / 30 °F69 mm / 2.7 inneither best nor good
April13.3 °C / 56 °F5 °C / 41 °F89 mm / 3.5 inneither best nor good
May20.2 °C / 68 °F11.8 °C / 53 °F86 mm / 3.4 ingood month
June25.5 °C / 78 °F17.3 °C / 63 °F80 mm / 3.1 ingood month
July27.8 °C / 82 °F19.8 °C / 68 °F83 mm / 3.3 inneither best nor good
August26.6 °C / 80 °F18.8 °C / 66 °F74 mm / 2.9 ingood month
September22.9 °C / 73 °F15 °C / 59 °F61 mm / 2.4 inbest month
October16.1 °C / 61 °F8.7 °C / 48 °F74 mm / 2.9 ingood month
November8.6 °C / 47 °F2.3 °C / 36 °F64 mm / 2.5 inneither best nor good
December3.1 °C / 38 °F-2.3 °C / 28 °F70 mm / 2.7 inneither best nor good
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen

Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:

  • Daytime highs
  • Night-time lows
  • How warm it feels
  • Humidity
  • How much of the day is sunny
  • Hours of daylight
  • Monthly rainfall
  • How many days it rains
  • Days of heavy rain
  • Wind
  • Snowfall and days with snow
  • Major events, such as festivals

The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.

The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.

Best months by activity

Exploring outdoors

Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.

  1. JJanuary: neither
  2. FFebruary: neither
  3. MMarch: neither
  4. AApril: neither
  5. MMay: good
  6. JJune: good
  7. JJuly: neither
  8. AAugust: good
  9. SSeptember: best
  10. OOctober: good
  11. NNovember: neither
  12. DDecember: neither
Best
September
Good
May–June, August, October

September is Detroit's standout month for exploring outdoors: mild, sunny and comparatively dry. May, June, August and October are also good, warm or mild and reasonably bright despite frequent rain and some humidity. April and July are held back by the year's heaviest rain (April) or hot, humid, heavy-rain conditions (July), and November through March are cold, often dull, and still wet.

Why these months

  • May · good

    In its favour: feels like (high) 19.1 °C / 66 °F, average daily high 20.2 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 75%, average daily low 11.8 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 68%.

    Against: wet days 12.3 days, precipitation 86 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2.5 days.

    Also on: Eastern Market Flower Day, Movement Electronic Music Festival.

    Watch out for: Memorial Day closures.

  • June · good

    In its favour: feels like (high) 26.1 °C / 79 °F, average daily high 25.5 °C / 78 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, average daily low 17.3 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 67%.

    Against: wet days 10.9 days, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, precipitation 80 mm / 3.1 in.

    Also on: Detroit River Days, Ford Fireworks, Motor City Pride Festival.

    Watch out for: Juneteenth closures.

  • August · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 84%, average daily high 26.6 °C / 80 °F, wet days 8.8 days, average daily low 18.8 °C / 66 °F.

    Against: feels like (high) 27.9 °C / 82 °F, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, relative humidity 72%, precipitation 74 mm / 2.9 in.

    Also on: Belle Isle Art Fair.

  • September · best

    In its favour: feels like (high) 22.7 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 22.9 °C / 73 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, wet days 8.8 days, average daily low 15 °C / 59 °F.

    Against: relative humidity 75%, precipitation 61 mm / 2.4 in.

    Also on: Detroit Jazz Festival, Tour de Troit Ride.

    Watch out for: Labor Day closures.

  • October · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 70%, feels like (high) 13.4 °C / 56 °F, average daily high 16.1 °C / 61 °F, average daily low 8.7 °C / 48 °F.

    Against: wet days 10.3 days, relative humidity 73%, days with heavy rain 2.2 days, precipitation 74 mm / 2.9 in.

    Also on: Dally in the Alley, Detroit Free Press Marathon, Fash Bash, Halloween celebrations.

    Watch out for: Columbus Day closures, Halloween closures.

An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Blue Knob, 437 km away.

Weather averages

Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feels like (high) -5 °C-4.2 °C2.6 °C10.1 °C19.1 °C26.1 °C29.5 °C27.9 °C22.7 °C13.4 °C4.6 °C-1.6 °C
Days with heavy rain 2.1 days1.8 days2.1 days3.3 days2.5 days2.5 days2.6 days2.5 days1.9 days2.2 days2 days2.5 days
Time rain usually falls 12 pm5 am10 pm12 am12 am3 am7 pm3 am5 am5 am5 pm10 am
Sunshine per day 5.5 h7.2 h8.4 h9.5 h10.9 h12.6 h12.7 h11.7 h9.9 h7.8 h6.4 h4.8 h
Relative humidity 76%73%70%66%68%67%69%72%75%73%73%77%

Air quality

Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–20259.1 µg/m³10.9 µg/m³9.7 µg/m³10.5 µg/m³13 µg/m³17.9 µg/m³14.5 µg/m³12.5 µg/m³10.7 µg/m³9 µg/m³9 µg/m³9.1 µg/m³
Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–202515.6 µg/m³19.2 µg/m³17.3 µg/m³18.2 µg/m³21.3 µg/m³27.5 µg/m³24.4 µg/m³20.7 µg/m³17.5 µg/m³15.6 µg/m³16.1 µg/m³16.7 µg/m³
  • Good 15 µg/m³ or less
  • Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
  • Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
  • Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
  • Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
  • Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³

Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.

Events and seasons

What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.

Reasons to go

  • Pączki Day / Fat Tuesday

    February, dates vary from year to year

  • Marche du Nain Rouge

    March

  • Motor City Blues Festival

    March

  • St Patrick's Day Parade

    March

  • Greek Independence Day Parade

    March

  • Detroit Tigers' Opening Day

    April, dates vary from year to year

  • Metro Times Blowout

    April

  • Movement Electronic Music Festival

    May, dates vary from year to year

  • Eastern Market Flower Day

    May

  • Detroit River Days

    June

  • Motor City Pride Festival

    June

  • Ford Fireworks

    June

  • Fourth of July / American Independence Day celebrations

    4 July

  • Belle Isle Art Fair

    August

  • Tour de Troit Ride

    September

  • Detroit Jazz Festival

    1–7 September, dates vary from year to year

  • Halloween celebrations

    31 October

  • Detroit Free Press Marathon

    October

  • Fash Bash

    October

  • Dally in the Alley

    October

  • America's Thanksgiving Parade

    20–30 November, dates vary from year to year

  • New Year's Eve celebrations

    31 December

  • Noel Night

    December

Worth knowing before you go

  • New Year's Day closures

    1 January

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures

    15–21 January, dates vary from year to year

  • Year-end holiday season travel rush

    January, November and December, dates vary from year to year

  • Presidents' Day closures

    15–21 February, dates vary from year to year

  • Good Friday and Easter closures

    March and April, dates vary from year to year

  • Memorial Day closures

    25–31 May, dates vary from year to year

  • Juneteenth closures

    19 June

  • Independence Day closures

    4 July

  • Labor Day closures

    1–7 September, dates vary from year to year

  • Columbus Day closures

    8–14 October, dates vary from year to year

  • Halloween closures

    31 October

  • Veterans Day closures

    11 November

  • Thanksgiving Day closures and crowds

    22–28 November, dates vary from year to year

  • Christmas closures

    24–25 December

Other places in United States

Compare places month by month on the travel calendar

Monthly averages over 2006–2025, unless stated otherwise.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC-BY 4.0), generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information (ERA5). City data from GeoNames (CC-BY 4.0). Air quality from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and sea temperature from Météo-France / Copernicus Marine, both via Open-Meteo.com. Coastline from Natural Earth. Ski areas from OpenSkiMap.org, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Skimap.org. World Heritage sites from Wikidata (CC0), from the World Heritage List © UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Readership from Wikimedia pageview data (CC0). Destination classification derived from English Wikivoyage, © Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).