Ware climate

Ware Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Belchertown, 9.2 km from Ware, elevation 550 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Belchertown. 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 14, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 27

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

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°F160155150147144141137132126
32°F184177172168164160156151145
28°F209202197193189185181176169
24°F236229223218214210206201195
20°F259252247243238234230225218
16°F278271266262257253250245238

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
6,774
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
488
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,475
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,398
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,467
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,666
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,000

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26500
February1,11300
March97007
April597247
May27917231
June6782466
July11190645
August18144590
September13651367
October466298
November764015
December1,08801

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 9.2 km from Ware. 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 USC00190562 (Belchertown). Public domain.