USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 07456 — Ringwood, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ (245 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Ringwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 188 days (NOAA, Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 188 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
- January 10
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 93%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ringwood
Half of springs at Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 5, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 28 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% of the 56 New Jersey stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 188 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 207 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 121 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 11 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 19 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 32°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| 16°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
| 16°F | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wanaque Raymond Dam, 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 07456 →Compare Ringwood with another place →
Weather by month in Ringwood
July is the warmest month at Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,137 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 32% of them (995) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 752. Precipitation totals 48.5 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 3.4 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 41 | 20 | 2.7 | 100% | 24 | 0 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 3.9 | 100% | 21 | 13 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 4.2 | 95% | 6 | 92 |
| May | 71 | 50 | 3.6 | 15% | <1 | 324 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Sep | 76 | 56 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 479 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 4.4 | 75% | 3 | 169 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 3.8 | 100% | 14 | 30 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 4.1 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ (245 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, Charlotteburg Rsvr, NJ, 10 miles southwest of Ringwood and 533 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (April 25), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 17), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Ringwood, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ringwood usually arrives around January 10, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ringwood, NJ, 0.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 31 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 07456
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 07456 is 4 miles from Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ, which stands at 245 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 21 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 10952 (Monsey). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07456 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.