Photo: Freeholdman12 · CC BY 4.0Wet weather: 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Spotswood, more than in 73% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 64°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 63% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 15; in half of years the first frost comes by October 26.
A year in Spotswood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spotswood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spotswood’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Spotswood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spotswood’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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ, 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 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Spotswood
83% 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 New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ.
Living with Spotswood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spotswood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spotswood and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Spotswood in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Spotswood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotswood, NJ | 23° | 87° | 48" | 29" |
| Ellicott City, MD | 24° | 87° | 47" | 29" |
| Charleston, WV | 25° | 87° | 46" | 32" |
| Gettysburg, PA | 22° | 87° | 45" | 27" |
| Alexandria, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 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 Spotswood averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
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 Spotswood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spotswood’s place among New Jersey’s.
Spotswood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spotswood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 3.5" | 8.3" | 11 | 9 | 24° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 2.8" | 9.3" | 10 | 10 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 4.2" | 5.2" | 11 | 5 | 36° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.3" | 4.9" | 10 | 4 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 47.6" | 29.0" | 125 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Spotswood’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 Spotswood’s center.
- Snow: New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Brunswick 3 Se, 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 Spotswood’s climate
What is the weather like in Spotswood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spotswood in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Spotswood get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Spotswood?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Spotswood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 193 frost-free days, at New Brunswick 3 Se, NJ.
What growing zone is Spotswood 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 Spotswood?
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 Spotswood 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 Spotswood.
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.