In Rio Grande, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 85°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.1° higher. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Rio Grande at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rio Grande’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rio Grande’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Rio Grande feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rio Grande’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rio Grande
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 Cape May 2 Nw, NJ.
Living with Rio Grande’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rio Grande from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rio Grande and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rio Grande in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rio Grande’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande, NJ | 27° | 85° | 46" | 15" |
| Woodfin, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
| Timberlake, VA | 26° | 86° | 45" | 12" |
| Bristol, TN | 27° | 86° | 46" | 9.2" |
| Dry Run, OH | 23° | 86° | 45" | 16" |
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 Rio Grande averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Rio Grande compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rio Grande’s place among New Jersey’s.
Rio Grande weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rio Grande’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cape May 2 Nw, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 3.3" | 4.5" | 11 | 4 | 29° – 41° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 3.1" | 5.7" | 11 | 4 | 26° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 34° | 4.3" | 2.5" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| May | 71° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 66° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 4.2" | 2.0" | 11 | 2 | 32° – 51° |
| Year | 65° | 47° | 45.7" | 14.8" | 124 | 10 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rio Grande’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 Rio Grande’s center.
- Snow: Cape May 2 Nw, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, 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 Rio Grande’s climate
What is the weather like in Rio Grande?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rio Grande in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 72 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Rio Grande get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 10 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rio Grande?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 68°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Cape May 2 Nw, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Rio Grande?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 222 frost-free days, at Cape May 2 Nw, NJ.
What growing zone is Rio Grande in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rio Grande?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rio Grande getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rio Grande.
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.