Essex climate

Essex Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beverly, 6.6 km from Essex, elevation 65 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beverly. 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 May 4 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 25

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 26May 23May 20May 17May 15May 12May 9May 6May 3
32°FMay 17May 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 9
24°FApr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1

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 19Sep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23Oct 28
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7
16°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24

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°F155150146142139135131127121
32°F179172168164160156153149142
28°F204197192188184180176171164
24°F231224219215210207202197190
20°F263253246242237232227221214
16°F287279273268263259253248240

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
6,473
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
432
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,398
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,284
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,334
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,547
Growing degree days, base 60°F
908

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17201
February1,02801
March92108
April600241
May32311183
June9471428
July15170620
August22135578
September14541350
October4513101
November710020
December99503

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 6.6 km from Essex. 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 USC00190593 (Beverly). Public domain.