Acushnet Center climate

Acushnet Center Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Bedford Muni AP, 4.4 km from Acushnet Center, elevation 80 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Bedford Muni AP. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 28

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 27May 22May 18May 16May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 15May 8May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 15
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5
16°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 13Mar 9Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22

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 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
32°FOct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31
28°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 27
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 20Dec 26

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°F163157152148144139136132124
32°F188181175171167163159154148
28°F215208203198194189185179173
24°F244236230225221217213208200
20°F272264259254249244239234226
16°F296288282276272267263257249

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
5,860
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
577
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,857
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,667
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,649
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,802
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,108

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08801
February94401
March84908
April544150
May27013223
June6787470
July6225683
August13186639
September11359397
October3907140
November648032
December92805

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 4.4 km from Acushnet Center. 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 USW00094726 (New Bedford Muni AP). Public domain.