Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0The climate in Ship Bottom sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 84°. Temperatures cover 57° across the year, low to high. Its January nights stay gentler than in 67% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Ship Bottom at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ship Bottom’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ship Bottom’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Ship Bottom feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ship Bottom’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ship Bottom
81% 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 Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ.
Living with Ship Bottom’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ship Bottom from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ship Bottom and its neighbors
Stafford Township has the coldest January nights next door (25°, 1° colder) and Stafford Township the hottest July afternoons (85°, 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 Ship Bottom’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship Bottom, NJ | 27° | 84° | 46" | 10" |
| Abingdon, VA | 25° | 84° | 45" | 12" |
| Asheville, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
| Erwin, TN | 26° | 85° | 48" | 9.3" |
| Vienna, WV | 23° | 85° | 44" | 11" |
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 Ship Bottom averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 95% 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 Ship Bottom compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ship Bottom’s place among New Jersey’s.
Ship Bottom weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ship Bottom’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 27° | 3.5" | 3.9" | 10 | 27° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 28° | 3.1" | 4.6" | 8 | 26° – 43° |
| March | 50° | 34° | 4.5" | 0.8" | 11 | 37° – 50° |
| April | 60° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 69° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 72° – 79° |
| August | 83° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 77° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 32° | 4.3" | 0.9" | 9 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 63° | 47° | 45.5" | 10.2" | 106 |
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 51°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ship Bottom’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 Ship Bottom’s center.
- Snow: Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brant Beach-beach Haven, 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 Ship Bottom’s climate
What is the weather like in Ship Bottom?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ship Bottom in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 71 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Ship Bottom get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Ship Bottom?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 68°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Ship Bottom?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 230 frost-free days, at Brant Beach-beach Haven, NJ.
What growing zone is Ship Bottom in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ship Bottom?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ship Bottom getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ship Bottom.
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.