USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 07016 — Cranford, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cranford, NJ (80 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Cranford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Cranford, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 202 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 27
- Last snow
- March 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 26.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cranford
Half of springs at Cranford, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 28 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 64% of the 56 New Jersey stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, longer than at 66% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 222 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 111 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 14 days longer, to about April 25, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cranford, NJ, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 07016 →Compare Cranford with another place →
Weather by month in Cranford
July is the warmest month at Cranford, NJ, averaging 86°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 85% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,648 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 66% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 33% of them (1,207) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 829. Precipitation totals 50.4 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 25 | 3.7 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 43 | 27 | 3.3 | 100% | 23 | 3 |
| Mar | 51 | 33 | 4.4 | 100% | 19 | 29 |
| Apr | 63 | 43 | 4.1 | 85% | 5 | 144 |
| May | 72 | 53 | 4.2 | 7% | <1 | 380 |
| Jun | 81 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Jul | 86 | 68 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Aug | 84 | 66 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Sep | 77 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 545 |
| Oct | 66 | 47 | 4.4 | 50% | 3 | 216 |
| Nov | 55 | 38 | 3.6 | 98% | 13 | 56 |
| Dec | 45 | 31 | 4.5 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cranford, NJ (80 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Plainfield, NJ, 6 miles southwest of Cranford, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days earlier (October 28), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Cranford, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cranford usually arrives around December 27, and the last of the season around March 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cranford, NJ, 1.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 07016
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 07016 is 1 mile from Cranford, NJ, which stands at 80 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 13 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 07083 (Union). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07016 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across New Jersey →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.