Cape May Historic District (Additional Documentation) · Photo: Smallbones · CC0A middle-of-the-road climate: Cape May is close to most U.S. towns on every count
Midwinter brings lows of about 28°. In January, nights here are milder than in 70% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 2.0° above 1901–2000. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to June and August to October, with highs of 68–84°.
A year in Cape May at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cape May’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cape May’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Cape May feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cape May’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cape May
79% of the work is heating. 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 Cape May 2 Nw, NJ.
Living with Cape May’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cape May from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cape May and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cape May in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cape May’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May, NJ | 28° | 85° | 46" | 15" |
| Asheville, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
| Bayville, NY | 26° | 85° | 46" | 19" |
| Abingdon, VA | 25° | 84° | 45" | 12" |
| Jonesborough, TN | 28° | 86° | 47" | 9.2" |
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 Cape May averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Cape May compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cape May’s place among New Jersey’s.
Cape May weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cape May’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cape May 2 Nw, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 28° | 3.3" | 4.5" | 11 | 4 | 30° – 42° |
| February | 45° | 29° | 3.1" | 5.7" | 11 | 4 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 52° | 35° | 4.2" | 2.5" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| April | 62° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| May | 71° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 77° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 50° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 57° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| December | 48° | 33° | 4.1" | 2.0" | 11 | 2 | 33° – 51° |
| Year | 64° | 48° | 45.6" | 14.8" | 124 | 10 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cape May’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 Cape May’s center.
- Snow: Cape May 2 Nw, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, 2.2 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 Cape May’s climate
What is the weather like in Cape May?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cape May in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 72 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Cape May get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 10 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cape May?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 69°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Cape May 2 Nw, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Cape May?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 222 frost-free days, at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ.
What growing zone is Cape May in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cape May?
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 Cape May getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cape May.
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.