USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 07848 — Lafayette, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newton, NJ (605 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Lafayette, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Newton, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 176 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 6
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lafayette
Half of springs at Newton, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 56 New Jersey stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 196 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 142 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 May 5, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newton, 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 07848 →Compare Lafayette with another place →
Weather by month in Lafayette
July is the warmest month at Newton, NJ, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 17°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,902 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 32% of them (942) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 713.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 17 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 40 | 19 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 61 | 38 | 98% | 10 | 92 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 28% | 1 | 294 |
| Jun | 80 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 540 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 5% | 1 | 411 |
| Oct | 64 | 41 | 86% | 9 | 139 |
| Nov | 52 | 32 | 100% | 20 | 29 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newton, NJ (605 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, Andover Aeroflex Airport, NJ, 6 miles south of Lafayette, has a last frost 1 day later (April 25), a first frost 3 days later (October 19), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Lafayette, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lafayette usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sussex 3 WNW, NJ, 8.9 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 07848
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 07848 is 5 miles from Newton, NJ, which stands at 605 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 07860 (Newton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07848 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.