Mackinac Island is blessed with four distinct seasons, from bright, sunny summers to cold, snowy winters and from crisp autumns with gorgeous fall colors to rejuvenating springs with the return of sweet-smelling lilacs. At some times of the year, it almost feels like Mackinac Island experiences all four seasons in the same day!
When you visit Mackinac Island in the summer, you won’t see any snow. But you will appreciate how the warm days often turn into refreshing nights, giving you a comfortable experience of summer that brings a break from the heat most every single evening.
To give you a sense of how warm it gets during summer days on Mackinac Island and how cool it gets on summer nights, here are the average high and low temperatures for June, July and August:
- Mackinac Island’s average high/low temperature in June – 70/51
- Mackinac Island’s average high/low temperature in July – 76/57
- Mackinac Island’s average high/low temperature in August – 74/57
RELATED: 3 reasons Mackinac Island’s summer weather is so perfect
Summer Sunshine and Rainfall on Mackinac Island
The beauty of summer on Mackinac Island is that it’s neither hot and dry on average, nor cool and wet. It’s the best of everything! It does rain from time to time – giving you the chance to enjoy things to do on Mackinac Island on rainy days. But rarely does it rain very much, or for very long. Each summer month on Mackinac Island gets fewer than 2 inches of rain. That’s enough to keep things from drying out so it’s all nice and green, but not so much that it might dampen your vacation. In fact, summer days on Mackinac Island get an average of 10 hours of sunshine!
Speaking of daylight hours, because Mackinac Island is so far north, the days are long in the summer when the northern half of Earth tilts toward the sun. Mackinac Island gets nearly 16 hours of daylight in June, more than 15 hours of daylight in July and over 14 hours of daylight in August.
Few places in the United States enjoy summer days so long, with sunrise before 6 a.m. and sunset around 9:30 p.m. for much of June and July. In fact, Mackinac Island is so far north that a majority of Canadians actually live farther south!
Not only are summer days sunnier than other times of the year on Mackinac Island, but they’re less breezy as well. Wind speeds average less than 10 miles per hour throughout the summer – which is enough to keep the air moving on warm days and to fly a kite at Mackinac Island’s Windermere Point, but not so much that you’ll lose your hat. Plus, the summer humidity on Mackinac Island is relatively comfortable compared to many parts of the country.
Packing for Summer Weather on Mackinac Island
So, after all that weather talk, what should you pack for a summer trip to Mackinac Island? Here are just a couple suggestions:
- Pack as if you’re going on a summer vacation and a spring or fall trip, too. Shorts, sandals, sunglasses and sunscreen certainly will be needed during the day, but you may also want a sweater or jacket in the mornings or late evenings.
- Bring comfortable shoes. Remember, there are no cars on Mackinac Island. You’ll likely be doing most of your exploring on foot, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage.
And here are some more ideas of what to pack for a trip to Mackinac Island. We look forward to seeing you during our gorgeous summers!
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