Photo: Jared Kofsky/Placenj.com · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives softly in Vernon Township, cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 17°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 78% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.9° higher. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 68–81°.
A year in Vernon Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vernon Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vernon Township’s place in New Jersey beside it.
What a year in Vernon Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sussex 3 Wnw, NJ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vernon Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 Vernon Township
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 Sussex 3 Wnw, NJ.
Living with Vernon Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 117 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vernon Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 36%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vernon Township and its neighbors
Warwick the hottest July afternoons (83°, 2° 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 Vernon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Township, NJ | 17° | 81° | 49" | 28" |
| Exeter, RI | 20° | 82° | 50" | 35" |
| Punxsutawney, PA | 17° | 82° | 45" | 35" |
| Durham, NH | 16° | 81° | 47" | 39" |
| Lynn, MA | 20° | 81° | 48" | 39" |
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 Vernon Township averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Vernon Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vernon Township’s place among New Jersey’s.
Vernon Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vernon Township’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° | 17° | 3.6" | 9.6" | 11 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 2.7" | 7.7" | 9 | 14° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 4.0" | 5.3" | 11 | 28° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.8" | 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° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 8 | 35° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 4.2" | 3.9" | 11 | 24° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 39° | 48.5" | 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 14° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Vernon 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 Vernon Township’s center.
- Snow: Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sussex 3 Wnw, NJ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Vernon Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Vernon Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vernon Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Vernon Township get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Oak Ridge Reservoir, NJ, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Vernon Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Sussex 3 Wnw, NJ).
When is the first and last frost in Vernon Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 163 frost-free days, at Sussex 3 Wnw, NJ.
What growing zone is Vernon Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vernon Township?
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 Vernon Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vernon 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.