USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 08825 — Frenchtown, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bucksville, PA (387 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Frenchtown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Bucksville, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 170 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 18
- Last snow
- March 9
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Frenchtown
Half of springs at Bucksville, PA see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 38% 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 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, shorter than at 93% of the 56 New Jersey stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 139 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 10, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bucksville, PA, 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 08825 →Compare Frenchtown with another place →
Weather by month in Frenchtown
July is the warmest month at Bucksville, PA, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 19°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,107 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 56 New Jersey stations. 34% of them (1,047) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 742. Precipitation totals 51.0 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in February (3.0"); 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 | 19 | 3.6 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 41 | 20 | 3.0 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 3.7 | 100% | 23 | 17 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 3.9 | 99% | 10 | 118 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.4 | 44% | 2 | 333 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 576 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 677 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 4.6 | 4% | <1 | 446 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 5.1 | 89% | 7 | 159 |
| Nov | 54 | 31 | 3.3 | 100% | 19 | 30 |
| Dec | 43 | 25 | 4.5 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bucksville, PA (387 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, Flemington 5 NNW, NJ, 9 miles northeast of Frenchtown, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 5 days later (October 21), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Frenchtown, New Jersey
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Frenchtown usually arrives around December 18, and the last of the season around March 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bucksville, PA, 9.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 08825
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 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 08825 is 9 miles from Bucksville, PA, which stands at 387 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 08848 (Milford). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 08825 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.