Dover, NJ 07962 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 7a (0 to 5°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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/04 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
About 189 days separate Dover's last and first frost, putting it 21,434 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NJ, it ranks 603 of 906.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Dover can differ from the 07962 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Dover's frost date answer different questions.