Essex, MA climate
Essex has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Essex feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Essex weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 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 | 12 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 56° | 4.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 63° | 3.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 61° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 54° | 3.8" | 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 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Essex
Essex gets 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 48 days of the year.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first one by October 12. That leaves about 160 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Essex
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Essex, 94% of that work is heating and 6% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Essex and its neighbors
Essex borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.6°. Hamilton has both the coldest January nights (19°) and the hottest July afternoons (81°). Essex’s January low is 20° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Essex compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
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°). The shift is larger than in 83% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Essex’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 17° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Essex’s climate
What is the coldest month in Essex?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Essex?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 63°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Essex get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Essex?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 12, and the last spring frost by May 4.
What is the rainiest month in Essex?
October, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 48 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Essex itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Beverly, MA (5 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.