Frost dates for Newark, New Jersey
In Newark, half of springs have had their last frost by April 2 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 15), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 10, leaving about 222 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Newark, New Jersey
Last spring frost
April 2
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 15: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 10
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 28.
Growing season
222 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 202.
Hardiness zone
7b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 5°F to 10°F. On the 2012 map it was 7a, half a zone colder. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 10 in 7a and 22 in 7b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Newark International Airport (3 miles away, at at sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of April 2 and a typical first frost of November 10. NOAA's Essex Fells Service BLDG (10 miles away, at 350 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of April 18 and a typical first frost of October 24. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from April 2 to 18 and the typical first frost from October 24 to November 10, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Newark
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 20 | April 2 | April 15 |
| First frost in fall | October 28 | November 10 | November 25 |
The frost-free season between them runs 222 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 243 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 202 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 23 and first on November 22. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 13 and first on October 30. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Newark comes between March 20 and April 15, a window of 26 days. That is narrower than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so the typical date is a steadier guide here than in most places.
Among New Jersey's 48 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 90 percent have their typical last frost later than Newark does.
Planting calendar for Newark
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 15 to February 12 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 29 to February 26 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 12 to March 5 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 19 to March 5 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 26 to March 12 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 5 to 19 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 5 to 19 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 19 to April 2 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 19 to April 2 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 2 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 16 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 16 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 15 to 29 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 3 |
| July | ||
| July 5 to 19 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 23 |
| August | ||
| August 14 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 18 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 19 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 23 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 24 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 28 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 7 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 27 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 28 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 29 to December 6 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 13 days later. That plans around April 15, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Newark International Airport (station USW00014734), 3 miles from the center of Newark. It sits at about the same elevation, at sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Jersey City, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Perth Amboy, Linden, Kearny, Rahway and Carteret.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 18 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 07002, 07008, 07036, 07114, 07201, 07202, 07205, 07206, 07208, 07305, 10301, 10302, 10303, 10308, 10310, 10311, 10312, 10314. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- New York, New York: last frost around March 30, first frost around November 20 (15 miles away)
- Paterson, New Jersey: last frost around April 14, first frost around October 28 (15 miles away)
- Yonkers, New York: last frost around April 20, first frost around October 26 (20 miles away)
See frost dates across New Jersey, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.