Photo: Tom Walsh · CC BY-SA 3.0Midwinter lows in South Deerfield sink below those of 85% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Winter and summer sit 70° apart. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 71% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 5 to October 8.
A year in South Deerfield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Deerfield’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Deerfield’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in South Deerfield feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 8. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leverett #2, MA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Amherst, MA, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Deerfield’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sunderland, MA, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Deerfield
92% 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 Amherst, MA.
Living with South Deerfield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 7.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Deerfield from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Deerfield and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Deerfield in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Deerfield’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Deerfield, MA | 15° | 85° | 47" | 46" |
| Stroudsburg, PA | 18° | 84° | 50" | 42" |
| Greene, NY | 15° | 82° | 44" | 48" |
| Kokomo, IN | 18° | 84° | 42" | 34" |
| Ontario, OH | 17° | 82° | 42" | 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 South Deerfield averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 South Deerfield compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Deerfield’s place among Massachusetts’.
South Deerfield weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Deerfield’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sunderland, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 15° | 3.3" | 12.8" | 12 | 20 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 38° | 17° | 3.0" | 12.4" | 10 | 19 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 25° | 3.5" | 8.8" | 10 | 12 | 29° – 45° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 3.8" | 1.4" | 11 | 1 | 43° – 51° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 55° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 85° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 3.5" | 1.6" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 4.2" | 8.7" | 11 | 12 | 24° – 41° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 47.1" | 45.7" | 130 | 66 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South Deerfield’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 South Deerfield’s center.
- Snow: Sunderland, MA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Amherst, MA, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Leverett #2, MA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher; 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 South Deerfield’s climate
What is the weather like in South Deerfield?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Deerfield in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does South Deerfield get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Sunderland, MA, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 66 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Deerfield?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 61°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Amherst, MA).
When is the first and last frost in South Deerfield?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 156 frost-free days, at Amherst, MA.
What growing zone is South Deerfield in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Deerfield?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Deerfield getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Deerfield.
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.