Rutherford, NJ 07073 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Rutherford, NJ, ZIP 07073
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/04, roughly 219 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/06, about 216 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Rutherford in Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 7b around Rutherford has about 10 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/04 isn't a guarantee
04/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rutherford compares
Rutherford's growing season runs about 216 days, ranking 13,740 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NJ, it ranks 290 of 906.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Rutherford can differ from the 07073 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7b and Rutherford's frost date answer different questions.