Photo: Wangyeah, babyknight, Roman Fuchs, Jim.henderson · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in East Rutherford tops that of 72% of U.S. towns: 47 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 61% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.2° higher. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in East Rutherford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about East Rutherford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Rutherford’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in East Rutherford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Teterboro Airport, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts East Rutherford’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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Harrison, NJ, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. 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 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in East Rutherford
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 Teterboro Airport.
Living with East Rutherford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in East Rutherford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →East Rutherford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of East Rutherford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like East Rutherford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Rutherford, NJ | 24° | 87° | 47" | 28" |
| Randallstown, MD | 24° | 87° | 48" | 29" |
| Charleston, WV | 25° | 87° | 46" | 32" |
| Alexandria, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Gettysburg, PA | 22° | 87° | 45" | 27" |
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 East Rutherford averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
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 East Rutherford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Rutherford’s place among New Jersey’s.
East Rutherford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Rutherford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harrison, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 24° | 3.4" | 8.0" | 11 | 8 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 25° | 2.9" | 8.4" | 10 | 9 | 22° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 4.1" | 4.7" | 11 | 3 | 36° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 46° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 30° | 4.3" | 5.9" | 11 | 3 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 64° | 45° | 47.4" | 28.2" | 120 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where East Rutherford’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 East Rutherford’s center.
- Snow: Harrison, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Teterboro Airport, 2.6 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 East Rutherford’s climate
What is the weather like in East Rutherford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in East Rutherford in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 89 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does East Rutherford get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Harrison, NJ, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in East Rutherford?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Teterboro Airport).
When is the first and last frost in East Rutherford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 215 frost-free days, at Teterboro Airport.
What growing zone is East Rutherford 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 East Rutherford?
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 East Rutherford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° 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 East Rutherford.
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.