Elizabeth climate

Elizabeth Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newark Intl AP, 4.1 km from Elizabeth, elevation 7 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newark Intl AP. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 2 and the first fall freeze around November 10, a growing season of about 222 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 13, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 23, first November 22

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
32°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20
28°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8
24°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 12
16°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2Jan 27

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25
28°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
24°FNov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22
20°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 6
16°FDec 12Dec 21Dec 25Dec 29Jan 1Jan 4Jan 8Jan 14Jan 23

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F217211207203200196192186179
32°F243235230226222218214209202
28°F266259253249244240236230223
24°F290280275271267263258253246
20°F313305300295291286281274266
16°F337328322316311306302296289

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
99% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
4,701
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,270
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,381
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,050
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,879
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,860
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,990

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00004
February83706
March697132
April36314155
May12469412
June14245681
July0408873
August1353817
September33159576
October25321252
November542161
December837012

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 4.1 km from Elizabeth. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00014734 (Newark Intl AP). Public domain.