Afternoon heat in Upper Greenwood Lake trails that of 89% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 18° on average. A year here swings 63° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 81% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 68–81°.
A year in Upper Greenwood Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upper Greenwood Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upper Greenwood Lake’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Upper Greenwood Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Charlotteburg Reservoir, NJ, 11 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upper Greenwood Lake’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Upper Greenwood Lake
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Charlotteburg Reservoir, NJ.
Living with Upper Greenwood Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upper Greenwood Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upper Greenwood Lake and its neighbors
West Milford Township the hottest July afternoons (82°, 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 Upper Greenwood Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Greenwood Lake, NJ | 18° | 81° | 49" | 28" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Durham, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 39" |
| Lynn, MA | 20° | 81° | 48" | 39" |
| East Greenwich, RI | 21° | 82° | 50" | 37" |
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 Upper Greenwood Lake averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Upper Greenwood Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upper Greenwood Lake’s place among New Jersey’s.
Upper Greenwood Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upper Greenwood Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 3.6" | 9.6" | 11 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 2.8" | 7.7" | 9 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 4.1" | 5.3" | 11 | 28° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 3.9" | 1.4" | 10 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 53° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 8 | 36° – 45° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 4.3" | 3.9" | 11 | 24° – 42° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 49.1" | 28.1" | 115 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Upper Greenwood Lake’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 Upper Greenwood Lake’s center.
- Snow: Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Charlotteburg Reservoir, NJ, 11 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower; 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 Upper Greenwood Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Upper Greenwood Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upper Greenwood Lake in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 138 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Upper Greenwood Lake get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Upper Greenwood Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Charlotteburg Reservoir, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Upper Greenwood Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 174 frost-free days, at Charlotteburg Reservoir, NJ.
What growing zone is Upper Greenwood Lake in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Upper Greenwood Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Upper Greenwood Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upper Greenwood Lake.
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.