Springfield climate

Springfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Westfield Barnes Muni AP, 12.1 km from Springfield, elevation 271 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Westfield Barnes 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 May 3 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 20

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 28May 23May 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 17May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 6
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 8Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3

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 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 25
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
20°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1
16°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15

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°F156150146142138134130127121
32°F179172167163158155151146139
28°F205197192188184180175170163
24°F230222217213209205200195188
20°F255248242237233229224219212
16°F276269264259255251246241233

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
6,330
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
677
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,904
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,778
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,798
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,949
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,239

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23500
February1,04701
March895010
April520577
May22233288
June49121522
July5250710
August12198651
September12164396
October4335121
November735020
December1,05602

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 12.1 km from Springfield. 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 USW00014775 (Westfield Barnes Muni AP). Public domain.