Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Afternoon heat in Essex trails that of 92% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 20°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in October and the lightest in February. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 76% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Essex at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Essex’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Essex’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Essex feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beverly, MA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Essex’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Beverly, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 16 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 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Essex
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Beverly, MA.
Living with Essex’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Essex from natural hazards, coastal flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Essex and its neighbors
Hamilton has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 1° colder) and Hamilton the hottest July afternoons (81°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Essex’s, 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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex, MA | 20° | 80° | 48" | 51" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| Deerpark, NY | 16° | 81° | 49" | 43" |
| Beckley, WV | 23° | 81° | 44" | 56" |
| New Fairfield, CT | 17° | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Essex averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Essex compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Essex’s place among Massachusetts’.
Essex weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Essex’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beverly, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 3.6" | 16.0" | 11 | 14 | 19° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 21° | 3.4" | 16.4" | 10 | 15 | 17° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 28° | 4.6" | 7.6" | 11 | 10 | 30° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 37° | 4.3" | 1.4" | 12 | 1 | 43° – 51° |
| May | 65° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 61° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 44° | 4.9" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 34° | 4.0" | 0.9" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 26° | 4.7" | 8.8" | 11 | 7 | 27° – 43° |
| Year | 58° | 41° | 48.0" | 51.4" | 128 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Essex’s 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 Essex’s center.
- Snow: Beverly, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beverly, MA, 5 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 Essex’s climate
What is the weather like in Essex?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Essex in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Essex get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Beverly, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 16 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in Essex?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 63°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Beverly, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Essex?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 160 frost-free days, at Beverly, MA.
What growing zone is Essex in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Essex?
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 Essex getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Essex.
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.