Hingham climate

Hingham Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hingham, 2.5 km from Hingham, elevation 35 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hingham. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first November 2

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 20May 15May 11May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26
32°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 13
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29
24°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14
20°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19

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 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
24°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17
16°FNov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 20Dec 25Dec 31

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°F172166162157154150147143136
32°F197190185181177174169164158
28°F224218213209205201197193185
24°F254246240236232227223219212
20°F279272266261257252247241232
16°F302295289284280275271265257

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
5,688
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
726
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,167
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,964
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,921
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,034
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,304

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09103
February93402
March834114
April504579
May23827267
June55122518
July5260719
August9222677
September9582438
October3638159
November633039
December92507

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 2.5 km from Hingham. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00193624 (Hingham). Public domain.