Raynham climate

Raynham Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Taunton, 5.4 km from Raynham, elevation 20 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Taunton. 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 19, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 1

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 18May 13May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
24°FApr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13
20°FMar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 16Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2
16°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 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 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 24
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11Nov 16
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
20°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16
16°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 21Dec 27

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°F177169165161157153149145138
32°F200193188183179175171166160
28°F225219214210205200196191183
24°F255247242237232227222217210
20°F278271265261257252247243236
16°F298292286281277272267261253

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
5,774
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
722
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,140
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,942
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,913
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,034
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,302

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,12102
February96001
March83708
April508166
May22427279
June52121519
July4258719
August8231688
September8978441
October3776150
November650036
December94505

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 5.4 km from Raynham. 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 USC00198367 (Taunton). Public domain.