USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 07712 — Ocean, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ (30 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Ocean, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 208 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 6
- Last snow
- January 24
- Winters with snow
- 81%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
13 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ocean
Half of springs at Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 23 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 November 3 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 94 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 13 days longer, to about April 22, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Long Branch-Oakhurst, 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 07712 →Compare Ocean with another place →
Weather by month in Ocean
July is the warmest month at Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ, averaging 84°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,314 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 30% of them (995) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 780. Precipitation totals 52.4 inches a year, most in August (6.3") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 25 | 4.2 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Feb | 43 | 26 | 3.3 | 100% | 21 | 2 |
| Mar | 49 | 32 | 4.3 | 100% | 16 | 18 |
| Apr | 59 | 41 | 3.9 | 82% | 3 | 92 |
| May | 68 | 51 | 4.1 | 2% | 0 | 301 |
| Jun | 78 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Jul | 84 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Aug | 82 | 65 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Sep | 76 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 527 |
| Oct | 66 | 47 | 4.7 | 36% | 1 | 214 |
| Nov | 56 | 37 | 3.8 | 98% | 9 | 56 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 4.8 | 100% | 21 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ (30 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, Freehold-Marlboro, NJ, 13 miles northwest of Ocean and 164 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (April 17), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 23), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Ocean, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ocean usually arrives around January 6, and the last of the season around January 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ, 4.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 81% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 75 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 07712
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 07712 is 5 miles from Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ, which stands at 30 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 25 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07712 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.