USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 07747 — Matawan, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Freehold-Marlboro, NJ (194 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Matawan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 6 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 190 days (NOAA, Freehold-Marlboro, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 190 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
- December 26
- Last snow
- March 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Matawan
Half of springs at Freehold-Marlboro, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 91% 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 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 210 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 106 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 May 1, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 17 and March 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Freehold-Marlboro, 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 07747 →Compare Matawan with another place →
Weather by month in Matawan
July is the warmest month at Freehold-Marlboro, NJ, averaging 87°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 23°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 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,482 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 33% of them (1,147) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 806. Precipitation totals 48.5 inches a year, most in July (4.7") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 23 | 3.9 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 3.1 | 100% | 23 | 5 |
| Mar | 51 | 31 | 4.2 | 100% | 18 | 28 |
| Apr | 63 | 41 | 3.8 | 91% | 4 | 138 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 3.8 | 20% | <1 | 355 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 618 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 513 |
| Oct | 67 | 44 | 4.1 | 73% | 2 | 204 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.5 | 100% | 12 | 54 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 4.7 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Freehold-Marlboro, NJ (194 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, New Brunswick 3 SE, NJ, 11 miles northwest of Matawan, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 15), a first frost 3 days later (October 26), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Matawan, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Matawan usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around March 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Freehold-Marlboro, NJ, 6.8 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 07747
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 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 07747 is 7 miles from Freehold-Marlboro, NJ, which stands at 194 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 14 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 07728 (Freehold). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07747 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.