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Detroit sits on the Detroit River between Lakes Erie and St Clair in southeastern Michigan, on the flat Great Lakes plain at approximately 42.33°N, 83.05°W. Its position among the Great Lakes gives it a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters — moderated somewhat by the surrounding water.
Summer, from June to August, is warm and humid, with July the warmest month — average highs around 29°C — and heatwaves that can exceed 35°C. It is the wettest season, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and the surrounding lakes keep the humidity high; it is also the sunniest, most agreeable stretch of the year.
Winter, from December to February, is cold, grey and snowy, with January the coldest month — average highs around -1°C and lows near -8°C, with cold snaps below -18°C. Detroit receives around 100 cm of snow a year, and the season is dominated by persistent overcast — the Great Lakes region is among the cloudiest in the country in winter.
Detroit receives around 850–900 mm of precipitation a year, spread fairly evenly through the year with a modest summer maximum from thunderstorms; around 100 cm falls as snow in an average winter. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
Detroit's winters are defined less by extreme cold than by unrelenting grey: cold air crossing the Great Lakes picks up moisture and generates near-permanent cloud cover, making the region one of the least sunny parts of the United States from November through February.
To follow any single measurement in Detroit more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.