Hardwick climate

Hardwick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Worcester 2 W, 22.3 km from Hardwick, elevation 1360 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Worcester 2 W. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 19

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 2May 27May 23May 20May 17May 14May 10May 7May 3
32°FMay 18May 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
24°FApr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2
20°FApr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24
16°FApr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16

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 11Sep 16Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 8
32°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 20
28°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 16Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26
16°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 4

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°F147141137133128124121116110
32°F173166161157153149145141134
28°F198191186182178174169163156
24°F220214210207203199195190182
20°F237231227223220216213209204
16°F254247243238235232228224219

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
8,186
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
274
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,720
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,765
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,932
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,224
Growing degree days, base 60°F
657

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,48300
February1,26800
March1,13904
April709133
May34313185
June12054386
July37108536
August6673473
September23923254
October594154
November91407
December1,27300

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 22.3 km from Hardwick. 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 USC00439988 (Worcester 2 W). Public domain.