Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Mountain Lakes gets more rain and snow than 80% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 85°. The latest 30-year average runs 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden planting can start around April 17; autumn frost returns near October 23.
A year in Mountain Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mountain Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mountain Lakes’ place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Mountain Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 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 Boonton 1 Se, NJ, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mountain Lakes’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mountain Lakes
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Boonton 1 Se, NJ.
Living with Mountain Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 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: May, June, August, September and October. 7.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mountain Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mountain Lakes and its neighbors
Parsippany the hottest July afternoons (86°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Mountain Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Lakes, NJ | 20° | 85° | 49" | 28" |
| Taunton, MA | 20° | 84° | 50" | 26" |
| Connellsville, PA | 21° | 84° | 46" | 24" |
| Manchester, MD | 22° | 84° | 47" | 34" |
| Clarksburg, WV | 23° | 85° | 47" | 24" |
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 Mountain Lakes 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 Mountain Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mountain Lakes’ place among New Jersey’s.
Mountain Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mountain Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 20° | 3.6" | 9.6" | 11 | 20° – 36° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 2.7" | 7.7" | 9 | 19° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 4.0" | 5.3" | 11 | 32° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 4.0" | 1.4" | 10 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 71° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 54° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 49° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 33° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 8 | 38° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 4.3" | 3.9" | 11 | 27° – 45° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 48.9" | 28.1" | 115 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Mountain Lakes’ 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 Mountain Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Boonton 1 Se, NJ, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower; 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 Mountain Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Mountain Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mountain Lakes in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 124 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Mountain Lakes get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Mountain Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Boonton 1 Se, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Mountain Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 189 frost-free days, at Boonton 1 Se, NJ.
What growing zone is Mountain Lakes in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mountain Lakes?
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 Mountain Lakes 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 Mountain Lakes.
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.