USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 07501 — Paterson, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Little Falls, NJ (150 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Paterson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 195 days (NOAA, Little Falls, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 195 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 10
- Last snow
- March 18
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 28.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Paterson
Half of springs at Little Falls, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 38% of the 56 New Jersey stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 195 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 214 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 117 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 12 days longer, to about April 27, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 18 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Little Falls, 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 07501 →Compare Paterson with another place →
Weather by month in Paterson
July is the warmest month at Little Falls, NJ, averaging 87°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 90% of years and May still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,368 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 33% of them (1,122) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 802.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 41 | 23 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Mar | 51 | 31 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 90% | 6 | 117 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 11% | <1 | 361 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 624 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 802 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 734 |
| Sep | 76 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 60% | 3 | 177 |
| Nov | 54 | 35 | 100% | 13 | 39 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Little Falls, NJ (150 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, Caldwell Essex Co Airport, NJ, 6 miles west of Paterson, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 14), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Paterson, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Paterson usually arrives around December 10, and the last of the season around March 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Harrison, NJ, 11.4 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 07501
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 07501 is 4 miles from Little Falls, NJ, which stands at 150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 22 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 07470 (Wayne). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07501 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.