Cookstown’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Cookstown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cookstown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cookstown’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Cookstown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo, NJ, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cookstown’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 24 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hightstown 2 W, NJ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cookstown
84% 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 Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo, NJ.
Living with Cookstown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cookstown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cookstown and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cookstown in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cookstown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown, NJ | 24° | 87° | 47" | 24" |
| Fort Thomas, KY | 24° | 87° | 45" | 23" |
| Thurmont, MD | 23° | 87° | 44" | 28" |
| Charleston, WV | 25° | 87° | 46" | 32" |
| Forestville, OH | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
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 Cookstown averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Cookstown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cookstown’s place among New Jersey’s.
Cookstown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cookstown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hightstown 2 W, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 24° | 3.5" | 5.8" | 11 | 8 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 2.9" | 8.0" | 9 | 9 | 24° – 42° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 4.2" | 4.6" | 11 | 4 | 37° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 83° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 4.2" | 4.4" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 50° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 46.8" | 23.7" | 126 | 24 |
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 7°.
Where Cookstown’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 Cookstown’s center.
- Snow: Hightstown 2 W, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo, NJ, 14 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 Cookstown’s climate
What is the weather like in Cookstown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cookstown in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Cookstown get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter at Hightstown 2 W, NJ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cookstown?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Cookstown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 196 frost-free days, at Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo, NJ.
What growing zone is Cookstown in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cookstown?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cookstown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cookstown.
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.