USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 01915 — Beverly, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beverly Municipal Airport, MA (108 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In Beverly, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Beverly Municipal Airport, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 177 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 10
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 39.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beverly
Half of springs at Beverly Municipal Airport, MA see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 71 Massachusetts stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 17 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 126 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 12 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 |
| 16°F | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beverly Municipal Airport, MA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 01915 →Compare Beverly with another place →
Weather by month in Beverly
July is the warmest month at Beverly Municipal Airport, MA, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,667 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 29% of them (778) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 682. Precipitation totals 44.9 inches a year, most in October (4.5") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 20 | 3.2 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 2.9 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 28 | 4.2 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 4.3 | 99% | 8 | 59 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 3.4 | 24% | <1 | 225 |
| Jun | 76 | 56 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 479 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 640 |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 3.6 | 3% | 0 | 401 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 4.5 | 86% | 4 | 133 |
| Nov | 51 | 34 | 4.0 | 100% | 15 | 29 |
| Dec | 42 | 26 | 4.2 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beverly Municipal Airport, MA (108 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Beverly, MA, 3 miles northeast of Beverly, has a last frost 10 days later (May 4), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 12), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Beverly, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beverly usually arrives around December 10, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marblehead, MA, 4.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 01915
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 01915 is 3 miles from Beverly Municipal Airport, MA, which stands at 108 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 01960 (Peabody). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 01915 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Massachusetts →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.