USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 08008 — Ship Bottom, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ (5 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Ship Bottom, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 230 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 15
- Last snow
- February 22
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 10.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ship Bottom
Half of springs at Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 15 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 15 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 71 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 10 days longer, to about April 11, and return around November 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between January 8 and February 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Brant Beach-Beach Haven, 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 08008 →Compare Ship Bottom with another place →
Weather by month in Ship Bottom
July is the warmest month at Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ, averaging 84°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 27°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,578 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 29% of them (1,024) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 817. Precipitation totals 41.0 inches a year, most in August (4.9") and least in November (2.5"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 27 | 3.2 | 100% | 21 | 1 |
| Feb | 42 | 28 | 3.0 | 100% | 20 | 1 |
| Mar | 48 | 35 | 3.9 | 98% | 11 | 12 |
| Apr | 57 | 44 | 2.9 | 54% | 1 | 85 |
| May | 67 | 53 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 321 |
| Jun | 77 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Jul | 84 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Aug | 83 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 798 |
| Sep | 77 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Oct | 66 | 51 | 3.8 | 5% | <1 | 276 |
| Nov | 54 | 41 | 2.5 | 83% | 3 | 57 |
| Dec | 46 | 33 | 3.9 | 99% | 15 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ (5 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, Atlantic City, NJ, 20 miles southwest of Ship Bottom, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 6 days later (November 21), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Ship Bottom, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ship Bottom usually arrives around January 15, and the last of the season around February 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ, 4.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 08008
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 08008 is 4 miles from Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ, which stands at 5 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 08050 (Manahawkin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 08008 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.