Frost dates in Elizabeth, New Jersey
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Elizabeth is April 2, and the average first fall frost is November 10, from NOAA's Newark Intl Airport station, 2 miles from the middle of Elizabeth. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after April 15, and the first one by October 28. That leaves about 222 frost-free days. Elizabeth is in USDA planting zone 7b.
Weather stations around Elizabeth
The first row is the date most people in Elizabeth go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Intl Airport 2 mi away, 7 ft | April 2 1 in 10 after April 15 | November 10 1 in 10 by October 28 | 222 days |
| Harrison 6 mi away, 24 ft | April 4 1 in 10 after April 16 | November 6 1 in 10 by October 25 | 216 days |
| Cranford 7 mi away, 80 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after April 28 | October 31 1 in 10 by October 14 | 203 days |
| Canoe Brook 10 mi away, 180 ft | April 18 1 in 10 after May 6 | October 27 1 in 10 by October 11 | 192 days |
| Plainfield 12 mi away, 90 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after April 27 | October 28 1 in 10 by October 13 | 200 days |
Distances are from the middle of Elizabeth as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 07201, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Elizabeth covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
More frost dates
All of New Jersey, station by station.
Other New Jersey cities: Newark · Jersey City · Paterson
Nearby: New York, NY
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer