The definitive ranking of every month in Michigan

As we enjoy another Michigan summer, let's have a fun debate.

What's the best month in Michigan? What's the worst month in Michigan? Even better, how would you rank all 12 months of the year?

Granted, the answer to those questions will vary from person to person. What constitutes a great month for, say, a Detroit Lions fan (September, the kickoff of the NFL season) might differ from that of a student going back to school around the same time. It also might depend on your taste for weather; if you prefer snowy winters over hot summers, you probably like January more than you do July. We understand each month is designated for awareness of various social and health issues, such as Black History Month in February, Autism Awareness Month in April, Pride Month in June and Hispanic Heritage Month in September-October; these designations aren't factored into this ranking.

All that said, I'm stepping forward and offering my definitive countdown ranking of Michigan's months. Do you disagree? Please discuss in the comments; I'll be reading.

12. January

The worst month in Michigan is the first one. January starts off exciting, quite literally from the first minute. It's a new year, with all kinds of new possibilities and, for many people, a slew of resolutions they promise themselves to uphold. But let's face it. Once the glitter is swept off the floor and resolutions are broken within a week or two, January's just one long month of miserable cold, sunless dreariness in Michigan. On TV, you have the NFL playoffs, but the Lions are almost never playing in them. By Jan. 8, you're ready for February, and at that point, there are still 23 more days of this nonsense.

11. February

One of February's redeeming qualities: it's only 28 or 29 days long, which makes it slightly more bearable than January. There's also the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day (if you're into that kind of thing). Other than that, what's so great about February? The groundhog?

10. March

Looks like we're going right in order, doesn't it? March is supposed to be better. It's supposed to be the beginning of spring and warmer temperatures and the end of snow, but let's face it: Michigan spring never arrives when it's supposed to, especially the further north you live in this state. March usually just turns into February, the sequel, with high temperatures taking forever to get out of the 30s, and it also happens to be the time of year when potholes start to form all over Michigan roads. At least we have March Madness to look forward to.

9. August

Detroit and Michigan summers are amazing, and that weighs heavily into these rankings. Not with August, though. It's worst summer month by far. It's hot for the third month in a row, it's humid, there are no more great holidays to celebrate and, by this point, I'm ready for the fall (unless you're in the Upper Peninsula, in which case fall might already be here).

8. April

This is a tough one, because there are a lot of reasons to like April. We have the opening of Detroit Tigers baseball season. For many teachers and students, it's Spring Break time, unless they already had it in March. The weather finally gets a bit warmer and feels more like spring some days, which brings optimism. That said, the optimism is fleeting when the temperatures go topsy-turvy, the rain comes pouring down and it still ends up snowing every other week (unless you live in the Upper Peninsula, then it's probably snowing every week).

7. November

In many parts of Michigan, this is the month of the year we see the first snow. But it's also welcome because we haven't seen it in months, the coming holiday season is in the air, and there's still a lot of meaningful football happening, from the Lions on Thanksgiving to the climax of college football's regular season. The wild card is Election Day, which, depending on the year, can stir up a wide range of emotions. Certainly not the most enjoyable month, but it could be a heck of a lot worse.

6. June

In many ways, the top half of this ranking is nitpicking, because you could make a case for any of these months to be the best in Michigan. June's one of them. It's festive, it's fun, it's the start of grilling season, and summer break gets in full force for all the children across the state (sorry, parents). My only problem with June? All the orange barrels; this is around the time when Michigan construction season really ramps up, and it makes getting anywhere real aggravating.

5. December

While many Michigan months get downgraded for taking place during the dreary winter, December qualifies as a Top 5 month for one simple reason: the holidays. Few times of the year compare to the splendor of the Michigan holiday season, with the decorations, the traditions and the quality time spent with family and friends. It's one of the few times during the colder months when we don't mind it's winter, because the holiday season without snow just doesn't feel right. Plus, we get college football bowl season, and that's awesome.

4. September

Ahhh, September. The beginning of orchard and cider mill season, the return of football and hope for our Lions, the slight cooling of summer temperatures, school back in session (sorry, students), Oktoberfest, and the gorgeous fall colors adorning our trees Up North. It's supposed to be the end of summer but, if you're on the southern side of the state, it usually doesn't feel like it until much later in the month.

3. May

May's kind of a tough month to pin down in this list, but I'm giving it a nod in the top 3 because it's undoubtedly the best spring month. The weather starts to consistently feel like spring and the daffodils and tulips are in full bloom, which signal to any Michigander that the warm Michigan summer is coming. Time for festivals, food trucks, buskers, outdoor concerts, cultural gatherings and — of course — barbecues!

2. July

In the southern United States, July is miserable. In Michigan, it's near perfect. Whether you're celebrating the Fourth of July, going on vacation Up North, enjoying the lake and/or the beach, going golfing, going to a splash park, or just basking in the sun and enjoying the little things in life, it really is the time of year to take things easy. I have just one minor quibble: sports, where we only have the Tigers in session and, when they stink (like they have in recent years), all you have is to look forward to football.

1. October

There's no debate. October is the Michigan month. It's not just spooky season or harvest season, it's hoodie season. Fall colors are in full force, it's Homecoming time at school, the weather is cooling but not deep-diving into winter like spring months tend to do, and you get a good excuse to pretend to be someone (or something else) on the final day of the month. It's also the best month for sports, from football to the MLB postseason to the start of hockey and basketball seasons. And did we mention Michigan vs. Michigan State, which takes place predominantly in October? Name a better month. You can't.

Disagree with these rankings? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

When he's not arbitrarily ranking Michigan months, Brian Manzullo covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: bmanzullo@freepress.com and on Untappd, bmanzullo and Twitter, @BrianManzullo and @SpiritsofDET.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan months, ranked: When's the best time of year?