Essex County climate

Essex County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for N Stratford, 12.9 km from Essex County, elevation 950 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for N Stratford. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 131 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 1, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 7

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 15Jun 10Jun 6Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 26May 23May 18
32°FJun 2May 28May 24May 22May 19May 16May 12May 8May 2
28°FMay 19May 14May 10May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 22
24°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
20°FApr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2
16°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26

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 4Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29
32°FSep 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 24
24°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26

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°F126120116111107103999588
32°F151144139134131127123118112
28°F175169164159156152149144138
24°F199193188183179176172167161
20°F220214210206203199196191185
16°F239233229226222219214210204

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
8,735
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
259
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,594
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,662
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,851
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,164
Growing degree days, base 60°F
625

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59500
February1,39400
March1,22002
April748123
May38210155
June13049372
July42102525
August6973470
September24723248
October618150
November94806
December1,34400

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 12.9 km from Essex County. 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 USC00276234 (N Stratford). Public domain.