Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 08701
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 08701 in zone 7a (the coldest night of a typical year: 0 to 5°F).
The nearest station, Toms River, NJ, is 9 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 23 in half of years and after May 12 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 7a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toms River, NJ | 9 mi | 10 ft | April 23 | May 12 | October 20 | 7a |
| Freehold, NJFreehold-Marlboro | 17 mi | 194 ft | April 17 | May 6 | October 23 | 7b |
| Long Branch, NJLong Branch-Oakhurst | 18 mi | 30 ft | April 9 | April 23 | November 3 | 7b |
| Hightstown, NJ2 mi W | 23 mi | 100 ft | April 25 | May 12 | October 16 | 7a |
| New Brunswick, NJ3 mi SE | 30 mi | 111 ft | April 15 | May 1 | October 26 | 7a |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Toms River
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | May 22 | May 12 | May 4 | April 20 | October 8 | September 27 |
| 32°F | May 12 | April 30 | April 23 | April 8 | October 20 | October 8 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 28 | April 16 | April 8 | March 27 | November 1 | October 18 |
| 24°F | April 10 | April 1 | March 27 | March 13 | November 12 | November 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.