Photo: Jallgor · CC BY-SA 3.0River Vale Township’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in River Vale Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about River Vale Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with River Vale Township’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in River Vale Township 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 20 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts River Vale 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, falls mostly in February. 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 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in River Vale Township
85% of the work is heating. 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 Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY.
Living with River Vale Township’s 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 20 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 7.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in River Vale Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →River Vale Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of River Vale Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like River Vale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Vale Township, NJ | 22° | 86° | 48" | 33" |
| Reisterstown, MD | 23° | 86° | 48" | 34" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Gettysburg, PA | 22° | 87° | 45" | 27" |
| Walton, KY | 23° | 86° | 47" | 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 River Vale Township averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 River Vale Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with River Vale Township’s place among New Jersey’s.
River Vale Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at River Vale Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.3" | 9.4" | 11 | 13 | 21° – 37° |
| February | 42° | 24° | 2.8" | 10.9" | 9 | 13 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 50° | 31° | 4.0" | 5.8" | 11 | 7 | 35° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 45° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 35° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 4.1" | 5.6" | 11 | 7 | 29° – 47° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 47.6" | 32.7" | 124 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where River Vale 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 River Vale Township’s center.
- Snow: Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, 9 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 River Vale Township’s climate
What is the weather like in River Vale Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in River Vale Township in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 109 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does River Vale Township get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in River Vale Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY).
When is the first and last frost in River Vale Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 189 frost-free days, at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY.
What growing zone is River Vale 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 River Vale 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 River Vale Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in River Vale 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.