Wakefield climate

Wakefield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wakefield, 0.8 km from Wakefield, elevation 1408 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wakefield. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 11

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

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 9Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
24°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
20°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
16°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22

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°F148142138134131127124120113
32°F166160156152148145140136130
28°F188181175170166162158154147
24°F207200195191186183178173165
20°F226219213209204200196192185
16°F247237231227222218214209202

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
6,824
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
814
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,109
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,005
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,020
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,156
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,419

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,37600
February1,11201
March877124
April5016101
May21450321
June30181601
July7269727
August15211660
September11786424
October44011144
November875016
December1,26000

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 0.8 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 USC00258915 (Wakefield). Public domain.