Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Wet weather: 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Alpha, more than in 80% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 20°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 60% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Tender plants can go out after about April 18; in half of years the first frost comes by October 25.
A year in Alpha at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpha’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpha’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Alpha feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Phillipsburg-easton Brg, NJ, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpha’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Springtown 1 Nne, PA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alpha
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Phillipsburg-easton Brg, NJ.
Living with Alpha’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpha from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpha and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Alpha in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Alpha’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha, NJ | 20° | 86° | 49" | 41" |
| Windsor, CT | 19° | 85° | 48" | 52" |
| Millis, MA | 18° | 84° | 48" | 48" |
| Latrobe, PA | 21° | 84° | 47" | 48" |
| Valley Falls, RI | 20° | 83° | 50" | 48" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alpha averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alpha compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpha’s place among New Jersey’s.
Alpha weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpha’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Springtown 1 Nne, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 20° | 3.4" | 10.5" | 12 | 12 | 20° – 36° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 2.7" | 12.1" | 10 | 15 | 20° – 38° |
| March | 50° | 29° | 3.8" | 8.5" | 11 | 8 | 33° – 49° |
| April | 63° | 38° | 3.8" | 1.3" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 32° | 3.3" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 25° | 4.2" | 6.4" | 11 | 6 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 48.9" | 41.1" | 137 | 42 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Alpha’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Alpha’s center.
- Snow: Springtown 1 Nne, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Phillipsburg-easton Brg, NJ, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Alpha’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpha?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpha in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Alpha get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Springtown 1 Nne, PA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 42 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alpha?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 62°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Phillipsburg-easton Brg, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Alpha?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 188 frost-free days, at Phillipsburg-easton Brg, NJ.
What growing zone is Alpha in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpha?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alpha getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpha.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.