Shirley, MA climate
Shirley has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shirley feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Shirley 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 15° | 3.4" | 14.7" | 9 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 37° | 17° | 3.3" | 14.5" | 8 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 25° | 4.2" | 10.1" | 9 | 29° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 4.2" | 0.7" | 11 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.7" | 0 | 12 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.3" | 0 | 11 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 3.6" | 0 | 10 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 59° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 4.7" | 0 | 11 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 30° | 3.9" | 1.7" | 10 | 35° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 22° | 4.4" | 11.2" | 10 | 24° – 40° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 47.4" | 52.9" | 120 |
“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 Shirley
Shirley gets 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 164 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 67% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shirley
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shirley, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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.
Shirley and its neighbors
Shirley borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Lunenburg has the coldest January nights (15°) and Ayer the hottest July afternoons (84°). Shirley’s January low is 15° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Shirley 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 Shirley averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shirley’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 13° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Shirley’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shirley?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Shirley?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shirley get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Shirley?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 11, and the last spring frost by April 29.
What is the rainiest month in Shirley?
October, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shirley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Nashua 2 Nnw, NH (17 mi, snow) and Fitchburg Municipal Airport, MA (6 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.