What is summer like in Ann Arbor? (Jackson: apartments, houses)

[jwt8070]

Hi,

Is Ann Arbor summer hot and humid? How long does it last? Is mosquitoes a nuisance in the summer time? Thanks.

[Coldjensens]

Depends on what part of the summer. It does get humid sometimes. Usually not super hot, but at times there can be sweltering days. As to how long it lasts, how do you define summer? Sometimes April is warm evenhot, sometimes it snows. May is uaully pretty nice. On rare occaisions it will get hot, on rare occaisions it will snow. June is usually vey nice. The skeeters start to come out, You might get some hot days. July can be hot, or it can be beautiful. Yes Mosquitoes are out. They are not very heavy in the city, but they are round. You put on some deet and they leave you alone. Or you can wear one of those things on your belt that blows out repellant. They work great if it is not breezy. August is usually hotter. Sometimes it is dry, sometimes it is humid. Some years it never gets hot at all. It just depends. September is usually abosultely georgous. Best time of year. Summer prtty much ends some time in september. October can be anything from too hot to snow. Usually is is nice for the first hald cool towrds the end. November is hit and miss too. Sometimes you get very warm days like early summer, simetimes you get -10 blizzards. Anything in between. Usually is is not nice, overcast, cold and rainy, but you never know.

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by jwt8070

Hi,

Is Ann Arbor summer hot and humid? How long does it last? Is mosquitoes a nuisance in the summer time? Thanks.

Yes. The south 1/3 of Michigan is a Dfa climate - Humid continental climate (hot summer sub type). The northern 2/3 is Dfb - Humid continental (cool summer). On average, temperatures exceed 90F 10+ days a year. June, July, August, the 3 months with average highs over 79.5F, are also the wettest 3 months of the year. May and September are mostly spring and fall. However, it can be VERY hot on both Memorial Day and Labour Day. Most years, snow will fall in early April and late October.

Mosquitoes are bad where ever there is stagnant water from May till mid September. Horse flys are bad only in the woods though. Well, they might be black flys, but we always called them horse flys growing up...

People from coastal northern climates are usually surprised how hot and humid Michigan summers are.

[Meemur]

The worst days are about July 15 to August 18 (or so). You'll know autumn is closing in when the breeze starts to come on in the evening about 7:30 and the air starts to dry out.

Even so, the dog days of summer in Michigan aren't as bad as the South. If you are on a budget, get a room a/c for $100 and chill your bedroom so you can sleep. It makes a huge difference in how you feel.

As for skeeters, it depends. If you're near the woods or high grass, they will be worse than if you are downtown.

We didn't have a/c in my house in A2 while I was growing up (1960s). We slept in the basement on really hot nights. That didn't help all that much. I used to dread August until I left home and could get an a/c. People still do without it, but I think they are nuts.

[Coldjensens]

We had no Ac until last year when we bought some window units. We run them for about three to four weeks and occasionally a day here or there. The daytime heat is rarely intolerable, but it can get hard to sleep at night sometimes. Not all that many days usually, Last summer seemed unusually difficult.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

My first year in Ann Arbor I lived in a basement apartment so the heat was tolerable (and that was the only good thing about that apartment!). The next year I lived at Nob Hill apartments on the middle of 3 floors ... I thought I could handle the heat 'til I came home one day (probably late June) and it was 86 degrees INSIDE and my two kitties were dying (not literally thank g-d!!). I got a window a/c the next day. Unfortunately I had to get one for casement windows and they were outrageously expensive -- something like $400 and that was close to 20 years ago. Well worth it though (my kitties were pleased!). I sold mine to a neighbor when I moved out of that complex a few years later.

You will only need the a/c for a relatively few days per year, but on those days, you will REALLY be glad you have it.

[chiroptera]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

We had no Ac until last year when we bought some window units. We run them for about three to four weeks and occasionally a day here or there. The daytime heat is rarely intolerable, but it can get hard to sleep at night sometimes. Not all that many days usually, Last summer seemed unusually difficult.

That's been my experience too...my last house had central air and I probably over-used it in the summer (leading to horrid bills.) Plus on hot days I'd leave it on while I went to work, for the dogs. So I had a few pretty gnarly utility bills.

This one does not so I installed a window unit in the bedroom, about $150.00. That plus a fan or two helps for those hot, clammy nights but really I only use it very occasionally.

Mosquitoes really depend on where you are, what's around you and whether your municipality sprays for them (I am not sure what A2 does.) Mostly they are only a bother in the evenings around dwellings. Deet is nasty but really does work. So does liberal amounts of patchouli oil but you and your clothing will smell like 1970 for days LOL.

[jwt8070]

Thank you for the replies. Change topic. What do people do during winter? Are there inexpensive indoor venues for swimming, playing basketball, etc. in A2? Or do people pretty much get stuck inside their houses during the winter months?

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by jwt8070

Thank you for the replies. Change topic. What do people do during winter? Are there inexpensive indoor venues for swimming, playing basketball, etc. in A2? Or do people pretty much get stuck inside their houses during the winter months?

Well, you can always go snow-tubing in the Arboretum. I was never much of a winter sports type but there is a snow hill by the corner of Jackson Ave and Miller where the kids go sledding. There's some hiking trailage, and people talk about going cross-country skiing. The only inexpensive indoor sports venues I know of are for the University students, but there may well be others.

[tuebor]

You can swim indoors at Mack pool or the YMCA.