- JulyBest month
- 100 daysWorkable days/yr
- 5 moSeason length
- 34–58%Rain-day odds
- Ann Arbor by month
The next 10 days in Ann Arbor
GOOD — every label check passes MARGINAL — one soft fail NO — hard fail or several soft
The rules this check uses
These rows are what the Ann Arbor strip checks hour by hour: consensus paint-can requirements, plus the low-temp-formula band the engine marks MARGINAL.
| Check | Threshold | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Air temperature | 50–90°F (low-temp formulas from 35°F) | The film (or mix) chemistry runs on temperature — both while you work and for the first hours after. |
| Overnight low | ≥35°F during the first 24 h (≥40°F preferred) | Curing continues after dark; the first night can undo a perfect afternoon. |
| Dry before | ≤0.05" rain in the prior 12 h; watch back to 24 h | Checked backward from your start hour using the two look-back days in the forecast data. |
| Dry after | <0.05" rain for 24 h after | The engine sums forecast rain hour by hour through the cure window for Ann Arbor. |
| Evening dew-point spread | ≥5°F from 6–11 pm | When air temperature meets the dew point, water condenses on your fresh work first. |
| Daytime humidity | ≤80% | Read as the daytime maximum, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; within 3 points of the limit counts as marginal. |
| Wind | ≤15 mph (brush only up to 20 mph) | Wind dries the leading edge too fast and carries overspray. |
Always follow your product label — formulas vary. The table above is the typical range across major manufacturers, not a promise about your can.
Best months for exterior painting in Ann Arbor
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain odds/day | Workable days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 16°F | 58% | 0 | |
| February | 35°F | 16°F | 53% | 0 | |
| March | 45°F | 25°F | 46% | 0 | |
| April | 58°F | 34°F | 46% | 0 | |
| May | 70°F | 46°F | 46% | 16 | |
| June | 80°F | 56°F | 41% | 18 | |
| July | 84°F | 59°F | 36% | 20 | |
| August | 82°F | 58°F | 34% | 20 | |
| September | 75°F | 50°F | 36% | 19 | |
| October | 62°F | 39°F | 42% | 7 | |
| November | 48°F | 30°F | 44% | 0 | |
| December | 36°F | 22°F | 54% | 0 |
Figure 100 workable days a year in Ann Arbor, spread across May through September. Shoulder months turn on the overnight rule: an afternoon at 70°F passes, but the 40°F night floor is what actually opens the season in May. The Michigan table ranks every listed city by the same math.
The rain odds swing hard across the year — 34% of days in August up to 58% in January. Season the plan accordingly: prep in the wet months, apply in the dry ones.
If the walls pass, the roof might too: roof coating in Ann Arbor uses the same film chemistry with tighter dew and wind limits.
Source honesty: every monthly figure on this page is the 1991–2020 normal at Ann Arbor Se, Mi Us, 4.9 km from Ann Arbor's center — your block's shade lines and wind exposure sit on top of that baseline. Scoring details are on the methodology page.
Comparing calendars along the loop? See how the season shifts for exterior painting in Worcester, MA, or jump ahead to exterior painting in Dearborn, MI.
Ann Arbor by the numbers
- Hottest month: July — 84°F average high, 0 days topping 90°F.
- The cold floor is January at 32°F afternoons and 16°F overnight.
- Measurable rain: January leads at 58% of days; August is the quiet end at 34%.
- The 40°F-night season spans May–September here.
- Bottom line for Ann Arbor: roughly 100 workable exterior painting days a year.
Prep checklist
- Find application day plus 24 dry hours with nights at 40°F+; Ann Arbor offers that pairing most often in August (20 workable days).
- Scrape, then wash: loose paint and chalk go first, because latex only grips solid substrate.
- Give washed siding 24 hours — north walls in Ann Arbor can need double after a January-grade soak.
- An ir surface thermometer settles arguments: label limits bind the wall surface, which outruns Ann Arbor's air by 20°F+ in sun.
- Bare wood gets primer, stains get stain-blocker, gaps get caulk — in that order, on dry substrate.
- Sequence walls so you always paint in shade; midday sun skins latex before it levels.
- Cut in with an angled brush set, roll a wet edge, and drop the sprayer plan over 15 mph.
- Stop 2 hours before sunset: with August lows near 58°F, Ann Arbor's siding meets the dew point before the late news.
Pro moves for Ann Arbor conditions
- Follow the shade around the house instead of the sun; siding that's hot to the touch will blister paint even when air temperature reads fine.
- Cold-rated acrylics that apply down to 35°F still need surfaces to stay above freezing for the next 36 to 48 hours, so check overnight lows.
- Dark colors can push a sunlit wall 30°F or more above air temperature; schedule dark accents for early morning or overcast days.
- Stop painting two to three hours before the evening dew point converges with air temperature, or the finish can develop dull spots and surfactant streaks.
- In Ann Arbor, humidity typically bottoms out mid-afternoon; save the final topcoat for that window and use mornings for prep and priming.
Gear that saves a window
Transparency note: gear links here become affiliate links only when the program is enabled — today they are plain references. See the affiliate disclosure.
-
Extension pole
Second-story reach without moving the ladder every pass.
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IR surface thermometer
Reads the wall, not the air — sun-baked siding runs hotter.
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Angled brush set
Control at trim, corners, and cut-in lines.
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Exterior paint + primer
One-coat hide on sound, prepped siding.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature can you paint outside?
50–90°F for standard formulas, 35°F+ for low-temp lines, and the wall itself must stay 5°F above the dew point. In Ann Arbor the practical range is set by nights: the 40°F overnight floor arrives around May and leaves after September.
How many dry hours does exterior paint need before rain?
Plan 24 rain-free hours after the last coat; the engine fails any day that can't deliver them. With Ann Arbor's rain odds swinging from 34% of days in August to 58% in January, the strip above is mostly a search for that dry pair.
Why does dew ruin fresh paint?
Fresh latex needs hours before it can take standing water; evening condensation gets there first on cooling siding. The check: air minus dew point from 6–11 p.m., 5°F or better. Humid January evenings in Ann Arbor are when GOOD afternoons hide failing nights.
Can you paint in high humidity?
Up to about 80% daytime RH — above that, dry times stretch until the film meets the evening dew. 80–83% reads MARGINAL on the engine; more is a fail. Pair humidity with Ann Arbor's dew-point spread rule and paint mornings-into-early-afternoons in the humid months.
What is surface temperature vs air temperature?
Two different numbers: air (what the app shows) and the wall (what the paint feels). Sun adds 20°F or more; evening radiational cooling subtracts. That's why the engine checks the 90°F top on Ann Arbor's hot afternoons and the dew-point spread after sunset — both are surface problems the air forecast hides.
When does painting season end in Ann Arbor?
When nights stop clearing 40°F — in Ann Arbor that's typically after September, when average lows hit 50°F and falling. Low-temp formulas (35°F rated) buy a few extra weeks; the engine shows them as MARGINAL days before the hard close.
What humidity is too high for exterior painting?
Most acrylic paints apply well between 40 and 70 percent relative humidity. Above about 85 percent, water can't evaporate from the film, so drying stalls, sags develop, and surfactants rise as sticky brown streaks. Very low humidity under 20 percent causes the opposite problem — paint dries too fast to level. Check the hourly forecast for Ann Arbor and aim for a falling-humidity afternoon.
What is the dew point rule for exterior painting?
Coating manufacturers require the surface to be at least 5°F above the dew point during application and initial drying. Closer than that, an invisible film of condensation forms on the siding, which ruins adhesion and can flash-rust bare metal. Practically, start after morning dew has fully evaporated and stop early enough that paint is set before the evening temperature drop.
How windy is too windy to paint outside?
Sustained winds above about 15 mph make brushing and rolling risky: paint skins before it levels, lap marks multiply, and dust or pollen embeds in the wet film. Spraying is far more sensitive — overspray drifts onto cars and neighbors above roughly 5 to 10 mph. Wind also accelerates drying, shortening your wet edge, so pick calm mornings for large walls.
Why is my fresh exterior paint blistering?
Heat blisters form when paint is applied to siding baking in direct sun — the surface skins over, then trapped solvent or water vaporizes underneath. Moisture blisters appear when paint goes over damp wood or when interior moisture pushes outward. Paint shaded sides, keep surfaces under about 90°F, and let rain-soaked siding dry a day or two before coating.
Exterior Painting glossary
- Dew point spread
- The gap between air temperature and dew point; painting standards call for surfaces at least 5°F above the dew point to prevent invisible condensation under fresh paint.
- Surfactant leaching
- Sticky brown or glossy streaks that surface when latex paint dries in cool, damp conditions; usually cosmetic and rinses off after the paint fully cures.
- Wet edge
- Keeping the boundary of just-applied paint wet so the next stroke blends invisibly; heat, wind, and low humidity shorten it and cause lap marks.
- Surface temperature
- The actual temperature of siding, which can run 20 to 40°F above air temperature in direct sun; paint labels' limits apply to the surface, not the forecast.
- Full cure
- The point when paint reaches final hardness and washability — typically 2 to 4 weeks for exterior acrylics — distinct from dry-to-touch, which takes only hours.
- Blocking
- Fresh paint sticking to itself where surfaces touch, like doors against jambs; worst in heat and humidity before the film fully cures.
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Guides
Climatology: NOAA 1991–2020 normals via ANN ARBOR SE, MI US (4.9 km from Ann Arbor center, elevation 832 ft); live outlook by Open-Meteo.