Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Wet weather: 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Shark River Hills, more than in 73% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 86°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in February. In January, nights here are milder than in 62% of U.S. towns. From May to June and August to October, highs of 66–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Shark River Hills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shark River Hills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shark River Hills’ place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Shark River Hills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Long Branch-oakhurst, NJ, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shark River Hills’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 48 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Shark River Hills
85% 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 Long Branch-oakhurst, NJ.
Living with Shark River Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shark River Hills from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shark River Hills and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Shark River Hills in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Shark River Hills averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+4.0°).
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 Shark River Hills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shark River Hills’ place among New Jersey’s.
Shark River Hills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shark River Hills’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.6" | 26° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 3.0" | 23° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 4.4" | 37° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 41° | 3.8" | 47° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 4.0" | 57° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 61° | 4.1" | 67° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 4.3" | 72° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 65° | 4.7" | 70° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 58° | 3.9" | 65° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 47° | 4.1" | 52° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 37° | 3.4" | 41° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 4.4" | 31° – 49° |
| Year | 64° | 45° | 47.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Shark River Hills’ 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 Shark River Hills’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Long Branch-oakhurst, NJ, 8 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 Shark River Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Shark River Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 25°. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shark River Hills in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 94 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How hot does it get in Shark River Hills?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Long Branch-oakhurst, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Shark River Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 208 frost-free days, at Long Branch-oakhurst, NJ.
What growing zone is Shark River Hills in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shark River Hills?
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 Shark River Hills 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 Shark River Hills.
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.