Wakefield climate

Wakefield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ironwood, 19.1 km from Wakefield, elevation 1430 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ironwood. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 132 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 20, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 12

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°FJun 14Jun 9Jun 5Jun 3May 31May 29May 26May 22May 17
32°FJun 3May 30May 27May 23May 20May 16May 11May 7May 2
28°FMay 23May 17May 13May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
24°FMay 12May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
20°FApr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
16°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29

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 5Sep 10Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 3
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 15
28°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 28
24°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
16°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25

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°F1301231181131091051019789
32°F156147141137132128124119111
28°F178171166162157153147142134
24°F203195190186182177172166159
20°F221214210206202197193188181
16°F237229224220216213209204198

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
9,263
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
256
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,425
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,534
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,764
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,115
Growing degree days, base 60°F
602

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,64300
February1,41400
March1,23903
April809021
May41913155
June14851360
July66100499
August9167443
September28023230
October660149
November1,04704
December1,44800

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 19.1 km from Wakefield. 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 USC00204104 (Ironwood). Public domain.