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Rear View Peabody Institute Library Danvers August 2012Photo: Botteville · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Danvers · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Danvers’ winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 81% of U.S. towns#189Snowiest  of 321 in MA
Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns#220 coldest of 324 in MA
All MA rankings →

A year in Danvers at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan36°20° 13" snow
Feb38°21° 13" snow
Mar45°28° 9" snow
Apr56°38°
May66°47° Last frost ~May 31 day 90°+
Jun75°57° 3 days 90°+
Jul81°63° 6 days 90°+
Aug79°61° 5 days 90°+
Sep72°54° 1 day 90°+
Oct61°44° First frost ~Oct 9Wettest
Nov now51°35°
Dec41°26° 9" snow

What stands out about Danvers’ climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Danvers’ place in Massachusetts beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Danvers feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
38° / 22°
12 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
56° / 38°
Last frost around May 3
Summer
78° / 60°
16 days reach 90°
Fall
61° / 44°
First frost around Oct 9
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 157 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Middleton, MA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

129
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
187th most of 323 in Massachusetts
More freezing nights than 67% of U.S. towns
4
nights at or below 0°
146th most of 323 in Massachusetts
More nights at or below 0° than 65% of U.S. towns
16
days that reach 90°
269th fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Fewer 90° days than 59% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
235th fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Fewer 100° days than 56% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Danvers’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

6.2
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 48 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Middleton, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
214th wettest of 324 in Massachusetts
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns
48"
Snow in a normal winter
189th snowiest of 321 in Massachusetts
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

13"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Danvers

93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,554 heating degree daysMore heating than 79% of U.S. towns
496 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 86% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Middleton, MA.

Living here

Living with Danvers’ climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

157 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 9.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Danvers from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Danvers and its neighbors

Middleton has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 2° colder) and Middleton the hottest July afternoons (82°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Boxford: January low 17°, July high 82°North Reading: January low 18°, July high 83°Lynnfield: January low 18°, July high 83°North Andover: January low 17°, July high 83°Lynn: January low 20°, July high 81°Marblehead: January low 20°, July high 80°Swampscott: January low 20°, July high 81°Manchester-by-the-Sea: January low 20°, July high 80°Hamilton: January low 19°, July high 81°Ipswich: January low 19°, July high 80°Middleton: January low 18°, July high 82°Peabody: January low 19°, July high 82°Salem: January low 20°, July high 81°Beverly: January low 20°, July high 80°Topsfield: January low 18°, July high 82°Wenham: January low 19°, July high 81°Danvers: January low 20°, July high 81°DanversMiddletonPeabodySalemBeverlyTopsfieldWenham
ColderMilder17° to 20°
Middleton17.9° −1.9°
Topsfield17.9° −1.9°
Peabody18.7° −1.1°
Wenham18.7° −1.1°
Danvers19.8°
Beverly20.1° about the same
Salem20.4° about the same

Climates most like Danvers’, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Danvers, MA20°81°48"48"
Mount Carmel, PA18°80°49"48"
Deerpark, NY16°81°49"43"
Beckley, WV23°81°44"56"
New Fairfield, CT17°83°50"49"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Danvers averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 78% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.6°now 30°, was 28°
Spring+1.3°now 47°, was 45°
Summer+1.6°now 69°, was 68°
Fall+1.5°now 53°, was 51°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Danvers compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Danvers’ place among Massachusetts’.

Summer heat81° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns52nd coolest of 324 in Massachusetts
Winter cold20° January low
Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns220th coldest of 324 in Massachusetts
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns214th wettest of 324 in Massachusetts
Snow48" a winter
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns189th snowiest of 321 in Massachusetts
Hot days16 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 59% of U.S. towns269th fewest of 323 in Massachusetts
Freezing nights129 a year
More freezing nights than 67% of U.S. towns187th most of 323 in Massachusetts
Growing season157 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 87% of U.S. towns28th shortest of 323 in Massachusetts
Month by month

Danvers weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Danvers’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Middleton, MA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January36°20°3.6"13.4"1019° – 35°
February38°21°3.4"13.2"916° – 36°
March45°28°4.5"9.4"1031° – 45°
April56°38°4.2"1.8"1243° – 52°
May66°47°3.6"0.0"1251° – 61°
June75°57°4.2"0.0"1262° – 69°
July81°63°3.5"0.0"1167° – 75°
August79°61°3.5"0.0"968° – 73°
September72°54°3.7"0.0"960° – 67°
October61°44°4.7"0.0"1149° – 59°
November51°35°4.0"1.1"1138° – 48°
December41°26°4.6"8.9"1128° – 43°
Year58°41°47.5"47.8"126
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Danvers’ numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Danvers’ center.
  • Snow: Middleton, MA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Middleton, MA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Danvers’ climate

What is the weather like in Danvers?

A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Danvers in winter?

January nights average 20°. About 129 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.

How much snow does Danvers get?

About 48 inches in a normal winter at Middleton, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month.

How hot does it get in Danvers?

July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 63°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Middleton, MA).

When is the first and last frost in Danvers?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 157 frost-free days, at Middleton, MA.

What growing zone is Danvers in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.

What is the best time of year to visit Danvers?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Danvers getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Danvers.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.