How Cold is Too Cold for Deer in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has been downright frigid this year. 2026 has given us some bitterly cold temperatures, and this weekend will be some of the coldest temperatures of the season so far.

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Extreme Cold Warning for Berkshire County

Berkshire County is going to be so cold this weekend that the National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Cold Warning from 6 pm Saturday through 1 pm Sunday. Saturday's high of high temperature of 22 will fall to around 5 by 5 pm, but with the wind chill, it's going to feel like -13. Saturday night's low will be around -9, but again the wind chill will make it feel much colder, -28. Sunday's high will be 8 while the low will be around -8.

READ MORE: Massachusetts Recommends Kids Stay Indoors at This Temperature

Obiviously these frigid temperatures are ones that humans can't take for long before hypothermia kicks in. These are dangerously cold temperatures, at least for humans, but for deer, it's a whole different story.

These Frigid Berkshire County Temperatures Don't Bother Deer

While these frigid temperatures are too much for the human body, deer can handle these bitterly cold temperatures. As a matter of fact, deer can handle temperatures as low as -34 without any problems. This is due to their hollow-haired, insulating coats. This now makes sense to me as I still see deer on my way to work on frigid mornings from time to time. I almost hit one recently. I was wondering to myself, does it ever get too cold for deer? The thing that is a threat to deer in the winter isn't so much cold temperatures, but rather the deep snow that restricts food supply.

Well, now we know that deer have superpowers when it comes to frigid temperatures. Humans, on the other hand, not so much. Be careful this weekend and make sure you stay warm.