Peabody climate

Peabody Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Florence, 17.9 km from Peabody, elevation 1290 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Florence. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 22 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 27

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
28°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 29
24°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 14
20°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
16°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21
32°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 9Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 21
20°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 2Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 11

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F178171165161157153149145138
32°F196190185180176171167162152
28°F218210204200196191187181172
24°F239231226221216212207201194
20°F261252245240235230225219210
16°F283274266261255249244237228

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
5,017
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,387
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,470
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,183
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,040
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,022
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,136

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07901
February853010
March642264
April35513180
May11485438
June8272714
July0434899
August2375838
September51175576
October27729261
November643154
December99305

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 17.9 km from Peabody. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00142773 (Florence). Public domain.