Matawan, NJ 07721 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Matawan, NJ?
Around 04/17 is the usual last spring frost, about 232 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/23, about 190 frost-free days later.
Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Matawan, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Matawan before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Matawan compares
Matawan's growing season runs about 190 days, ranking 21,099 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NJ, it ranks 562 of 906.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Matawan's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Matawan's dates instead of trusting one.