A month by month plan based on Grand Rapids airport normals: 77.6 inches of snow, a last freeze around April 29, a first freeze around October 20 and three wet months in between.
Grand Rapids does not have a gentle year. Cold air crossing Lake Michigan brings lake effect snow, and the wet months sit on either side of a fairly short summer. Each part of the year leaves its own mark on a home.
This calendar uses local weather normals to say when to do what. It is written for households planning ahead, with TotalCare Cleaning visits as one of the tools that can help when the company comes to the area.
The 1991 to 2020 normal snowfall at the airport is 77.6 inches a year, with 22.6 in January, 20.8 in December and 17.2 in February. Average monthly temperatures range from 24.8 degrees in January to 72.8 in July. The median last spring freeze is April 29, and the median first fall freeze is October 20, a growing season of about 174 days.
Normal annual precipitation is 39.40 inches, with October, May and April the wettest months at about 4 inches each and February the driest at 2.12. The National Weather Service says lake effect snow is common across the Great Lakes region in late fall and winter, when cold air crosses open, unfrozen lake water.
This is the heart of winter, with about 60 inches of the year's snow falling in these three months and about 50 days a year when the high stays at or below freezing. Grand Rapids salts its major routes, and that salt comes in on every boot. Use a boot tray and mats on both sides of the door, and damp wipe floors near the entry often.
Mean dew points of about 19 degrees in January and February make heated indoor air very dry, so dust and static are more noticeable. Dust with a damp cloth so that it does not go back into the air. See the winter guide for salt and slush.
Grand Rapids ordinance gives residents 24 hours after it stops snowing to clear their sidewalks, and a clear walk also means less grit indoors.
Snow fades and the mud returns, while April is among the wettest months. The last freeze may not come until about April 29, so a warm week does not mean winter is over. Take the salt off for good now: wash entry floors, shake out or wash the mats, and clean baseboards near doors, where brine splashes.
This is also a good moment for a One-Time Deep Clean, which gets to window tracks, blinds, baseboards, fans and vents after months of closed windows. It does not include the inside of appliances, which belongs to the Moving Clean.
May is wet too, so keep mats in place until it dries out. Kentwood runs aerial spray treatment for spongy moth in affected areas in May or June, so close windows if your area is on the list, and sweep porches in a heavy year.
July brings an average of 72.8 degrees and a mean dew point of about 61, so bathrooms dry slowly. Run the fan during and after showers, and squeegee the glass. Lake Michigan water at about 142 milligrams per liter leaves spots if it dries on glass. The hard water guide has more.
October is one of the wettest months, and the first freeze comes around October 20. Grand Rapids collects leaves, grass clippings and small twigs in city yard waste paper bags of up to 30 pounds, or through yard waste service. Get leaves off the walk before they get wet and stick to shoes.
Before the snow starts, set up the entry: a boot tray, a bench and mats. Wash windows if that is on your list, since interior windows are an add-on to any visit. If guests are expected for the holidays, a deep visit in November gets detail work done before the home fills up.
A Recurring House Clean can be set up on a bi-weekly schedule ahead of the first snow, so that salt never gets a chance to build up.
The questions Grand Rapids homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Grand Rapids and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
