Precipitation in Harlingen tops that of 76% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
July afternoons average 87°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 60% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 16 to October 27.
A year in Harlingen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harlingen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harlingen’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Harlingen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wertsville 4 Ne, NJ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harlingen’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bound Brook 2w, NJ, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harlingen
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 Wertsville 4 Ne, NJ.
Living with Harlingen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Harlingen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harlingen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Harlingen yet.
Climates most like Harlingen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen, NJ | 23° | 87° | 48" | 21" |
| Cynthiana, KY | 24° | 87° | 48" | 16" |
| Amelia, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| North Vernon, IN | 23° | 86° | 48" | 17" |
| Clarksburg, WV | 23° | 85° | 47" | 24" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Harlingen averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
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 Harlingen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harlingen’s place among New Jersey’s.
Harlingen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harlingen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bound Brook 2w, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 3.5" | 6.8" | 10 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 2.8" | 6.7" | 8 | 22° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 4.1" | 3.6" | 10 | 35° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 11 | 48° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 4.3" | 3.5" | 10 | 29° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 43° | 48.1" | 21.0" | 121 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Harlingen’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 Harlingen’s center.
- Snow: Bound Brook 2w, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wertsville 4 Ne, NJ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 Harlingen’s climate
What is the weather like in Harlingen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harlingen in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 118 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 23°.
How much snow does Harlingen get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Bound Brook 2w, NJ, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Harlingen?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Wertsville 4 Ne, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Harlingen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 192 frost-free days, at Wertsville 4 Ne, NJ.
What growing zone is Harlingen in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Harlingen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Harlingen 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 Harlingen.
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.