Photo: Szeremeta · CC BY-SA 4.0Bay Head’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 85°
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°.
A year in Bay Head at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bay Head’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bay Head’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Bay Head feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Toms River, NJ, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bay Head’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 48 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bay Head
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Toms River, NJ.
Living with Bay Head’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bay Head from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bay Head and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bay Head in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Bay Head averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Bay Head compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bay Head’s place among New Jersey’s.
Bay Head weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bay Head’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 26° | 3.8" | 26° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 3.0" | 24° – 41° |
| March | 50° | 33° | 4.5" | 37° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 42° | 3.7" | 47° – 56° |
| May | 70° | 51° | 3.8" | 55° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 61° | 4.0" | 66° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 67° | 4.4" | 71° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 66° | 4.7" | 70° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 59° | 4.0" | 66° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 48° | 4.1" | 53° – 64° |
| November | 55° | 38° | 3.3" | 41° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 4.5" | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 63° | 46° | 47.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bay Head’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 Bay Head’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Toms River, NJ, 12 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 Bay Head’s climate
What is the weather like in Bay Head?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bay Head in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 116 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How hot does it get in Bay Head?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 67°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Toms River, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Bay Head?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Toms River, NJ.
What growing zone is Bay Head in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bay Head?
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 Bay Head getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bay Head.
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.