Wakefield climate

Wakefield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wakefield 1NW, 2.4 km from Wakefield, elevation 113 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wakefield 1NW. 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 April 12 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 9

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 13May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 10
32°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28
28°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Feb 26
20°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 14Feb 5
16°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 27Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9Feb 4Jan 30Jan 21

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°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
32°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 28
24°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
20°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22Dec 29Jan 4
16°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 19Dec 26Dec 31Jan 3Jan 9Jan 15Jan 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°F199193187183179175170164158
32°F221214209205200197192186180
28°F249240233229224220216211204
24°F280269263257252246241235227
20°F315303295289284277271263252
16°F345333325319313307301293283

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
98% 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
3,693
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,519
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,306
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,834
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,523
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,364
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,363

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January807126
February657132
March5196104
April24241274
May75126517
June7293736
July0429894
August0372837
September22202630
October19742322
November4604108
December707142

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 2.4 km from Wakefield. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00448800 (Wakefield 1NW). Public domain.