Dover, NJ 07801 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Dover, NJ?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/17, about 232 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/23, about 189 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Dover in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Dover before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/17 isn't a guarantee
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/04 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Dover compares
Dover's growing season runs about 189 days, ranking 21,430 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NJ, it ranks 599 of 906.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Dover's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Dover can differ from the 07801 normal.