USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 07853 — Long Valley, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ (105 ft), 13 miles southeast.
Updated
In Long Valley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 18
- 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 22
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 29.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Long Valley
Half of springs at Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 64% of the 56 New Jersey stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 15 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 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 124 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 7, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Somerville Somerset Airport, 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 07853 →Compare Long Valley with another place →
Weather by month in Long Valley
July is the warmest month at Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ, averaging 86°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 21°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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,215 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 33% of them (1,057) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 762. Precipitation totals 45.5 inches a year, most in August (5.2") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.2 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 43 | 22 | 2.2 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Mar | 51 | 30 | 3.9 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 3.6 | 98% | 8 | 116 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 3.5 | 35% | 1 | 334 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 585 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 707 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 473 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 3.7 | 86% | 5 | 174 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 16 | 35 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.9 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ (105 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, Somerville 4 NW, NJ, 14 miles southeast of Long Valley, has a last frost 4 days later (April 30), a first frost 2 days later (October 20), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Long Valley, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Long Valley usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pottersville 2 NNW, NJ, 4.5 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 07853
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 07853 is 13 miles from Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ, which stands at 105 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 07853 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.