U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00286964 · New Jersey

Frost Dates near Willingboro, NJ

NOAA weather station Philadelphia/Mount Holly WFO (USC00286964), New Jersey · elevation 63 ft (19 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

Willingboro is the nearest town to the station (2.9 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 29only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season196 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Willingboro, NJSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 15 in half of the years, after April 29 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 10 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 196 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 15First frost ~Oct 29Frost season near Willingboro, NJSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 15 in half of the years, after April 29 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 10 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 196 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 15First frost ~Oct 29
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 29October 14
50% (typical)April 15October 29
90% (likely)April 1November 10
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
196 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 1
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 7

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 14 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 31 (2 days later). Frost-free season 198 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring near Willingboro: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 29, 20% April 24, 30% April 20, 40% April 18, 50% April 15, 60% April 12, 70% April 9, 80% April 6, 90% April 1. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 4, 2022 April 29, 2023 April 10, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 9, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 29Apr 15Apr 12021: April 42022: April 292023: April 102024: April 222025: April 92026: April 21Fall near Willingboro: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 14, 20% October 19, 30% October 23, 40% October 26, 50% October 29, 60% November 1, 70% November 2, 80% November 5, 90% November 10. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 November 15, 2023 November 2, 2024 October 28, 2025 November 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 14Oct 29Nov 102021: November 32022: November 152023: November 22024: October 282025: November 2
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 4November 3
2022April 29November 15
2023April 10November 2
2024April 22October 28
2025April 9November 2
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 196 days between the 32°F 50% dates in the Willingboro area define the interval when light-frost risk moves from even odds to unlikely. The 50% date in spring is April 15 and the 50% date in fall is October 29; at each of these days there is a 50 % chance a light frost will occur later (spring) or earlier (fall). Gardeners who prefer a cautious approach should wait until the April 29 spring date, which carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later, and should finish tender-crop harvest by the October 14 fall date, which has only a 10 % chance of a frost earlier.

A hard frost at 28 °F, marked by the April 1 and November 7 50% dates, is more damaging than a light frost at 32 °F because it can kill plants that would otherwise survive the milder temperature.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 29" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 14" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Willingboro, NJNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Pennsauken, NJ — 11 mi; 2 — Indian Mills, NJ — 15 mi; 3 — Phila Franklin Inst, PA — 19 mi; 4 — Hightstown, NJ — 22 mi; 5 — Philadelphia, PA — 24 mi.PAMDDENY25 mi · 40 km1. Pennsauken, NJ — 11 mi12. Indian Mills, NJ — 15 mi23. Phila Franklin Inst, PA — 19 mi34. Hightstown, NJ — 22 mi45. Philadelphia, PA — 24 mi5
  1. Pennsauken, NJ 11 mi (18 km)
  2. Indian Mills, NJ 15 mi (24 km)
  3. Phila Franklin Inst, PA 19 mi (31 km)
  4. Hightstown, NJ 22 mi (35 km)
  5. Philadelphia, PA 24 mi (39 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.0136, -74.8175.