Frost dates in Paterson, 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 Paterson is April 14, and the average first fall frost is October 28, from NOAA's Caldwell Essex Co Airport station, 7 miles from the middle of Paterson. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after April 30, and the first one by October 13. That leaves about 197 frost-free days. Paterson is in USDA planting zone 7a.
Weather stations around Paterson
The first row is the date most people in Paterson go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell Essex Co Airport 7 mi away, 173 ft | April 14 1 in 10 after April 30 | October 28 1 in 10 by October 13 | 197 days |
| Little Falls 4 mi away, 150 ft | April 15 1 in 10 after May 1 | October 28 1 in 10 by October 13 | 196 days |
| Teterboro Airport 7 mi away, 9 ft | April 3 1 in 10 after April 16 | November 4 1 in 10 by October 21 | 215 days |
| Essex Fells Service Bldg 9 mi away, 350 ft | April 18 1 in 10 after May 7 | October 24 1 in 10 by October 8 | 189 days |
| Wanaque Raymond Dam 11 mi away, 245 ft | April 19 1 in 10 after May 3 | October 23 1 in 10 by October 9 | 187 days |
Distances are from the middle of Paterson 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 07501, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Paterson 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 · Elizabeth
Nearby: Yonkers, 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