Photo: Freeholdman12 · CC BY-SA 4.0Howell Township gets more rain and snow than 74% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 60% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from April to June and September to October, with highs of 63–82°.
A year in Howell Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Howell Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Howell Township’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Howell Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 190 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Freehold-marlboro, NJ, 10 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Howell Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 48 inches a year; August 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 Howell Township
83% 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 Freehold-marlboro, NJ.
Living with Howell Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
190 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 40 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Howell Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Howell Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Howell Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Howell Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howell Township, NJ | 24° | 87° | 48" | 24" |
| Ellicott City, MD | 24° | 87° | 47" | 29" |
| Covington, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Amelia, OH | 23° | 86° | 46" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 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 Howell Township averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Howell Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Howell Township’s place among New Jersey’s.
Howell Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Howell Township’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° | 3.6" | 5.8" | 11 | 8 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 25° | 3.0" | 8.0" | 9 | 9 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 4.4" | 4.6" | 11 | 4 | 37° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 4.4" | 4.4" | 11 | 3 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 47.7" | 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 30° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Howell Township’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 Howell Township’s center.
- Snow: Hightstown 2 W, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Freehold-marlboro, NJ, 10 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Howell Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Howell Township?
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 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Howell Township in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Howell Township 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 Howell Township?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Freehold-marlboro, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Howell Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 190 frost-free days, at Freehold-marlboro, NJ.
What growing zone is Howell Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Howell Township?
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 Howell Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Howell Township.
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.