Madison, NJ 07976 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Madison, NJ?
Around 04/18 is the usual last spring frost, about 233 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/27, about 189 frost-free days later.
Madison sits in USDA Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Madison before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/18 isn't a guarantee
04/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/03 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 Madison compares
Madison's growing season runs about 189 days, ranking 21,445 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NJ, it ranks 611 of 906.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Madison can differ from the 07976 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Madison's frost date answer different questions.