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Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ municipal building, Dec. 2024Photo: 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 4.0
Climate in Washington Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Washington Township gets more rain and snow than 73% of U.S. towns: 48 inches of precipitation a year

The warmest part of a July day comes in at 86° on average. The latest 30-year average runs 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.

More snow than 66% of U.S. towns#12Snowiest  of 357 in NJ
Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns#240Mildest winters  of 367 in NJ
All NJ rankings →

A year in Washington Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan39°22° 9" snow
Feb42°24° 11" snow
Mar50°31° 6" snow
Apr62°40° Last frost ~Apr 3
May73°51° 2 days 90°+
Jun81°60° 5 days 90°+
Jul86°66° 12 days 90°+
Aug84°64° 8 days 90°+Wettest
Sep77°57° 2 days 90°+
Oct65°45°
Nov now54°35° First frost ~Nov 4
Dec44°28° 6" snow

What stands out about Washington Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Washington Township’s place in New Jersey beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Washington Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
42° / 25°
9 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
62° / 41°
Last frost around Apr 3
Summer
84° / 63°
29 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 46°
First frost around Nov 4
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 215 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Teterboro Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

89
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
63rd fewest of 367 in New Jersey
Fewer freezing nights than 66% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
38th fewest of 367 in New Jersey
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 69% of U.S. towns
29
days that reach 90°
44th most of 367 in New Jersey
More 90° days than 62% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
83rd most of 367 in New Jersey
More 100° days than 69% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Washington Township’s center in zone 7a: 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°

24
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

12
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 33 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
185th wettest of 367 in New Jersey
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns
33"
Snow in a normal winter
12th snowiest of 357 in New Jersey
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns
39 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
11th most of 271 in New Jersey
More days with snow on the ground than 65% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

11"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Washington Township

79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

4,735 heating degree daysLess heating than 62% of U.S. towns
1,255 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 67% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Teterboro Airport.

Living here

Living with Washington Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

215 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 4.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washington Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Washington Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Washington Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

River Vale Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Woodcliff Lake: January low 22°, July high 86°Park Ridge: January low 22°, July high 86°Saddle River: January low 22°, July high 86°Glen Rock: January low 22°, July high 86°Waldwick: January low 21°, July high 85°Midland Park: January low 22°, July high 86°Wyckoff Township: January low 21°, July high 85°Hawthorne: January low 22°, July high 86°Fair Lawn: January low 23°, July high 86°River Edge: January low 23°, July high 87°Hackensack: January low 23°, July high 87°Oradell: January low 23°, July high 87°Rochelle Park Township: January low 23°, July high 87°Maywood: January low 23°, July high 87°Haworth: January low 23°, July high 87°Closter: January low 23°, July high 87°Harrington Park: January low 23°, July high 87°Westwood: January low 23°, July high 87°Hillsdale: January low 22°, July high 86°Ridgewood: January low 22°, July high 86°Ho-Ho-Kus: January low 22°, July high 86°Paramus: January low 23°, July high 87°Emerson: January low 23°, July high 87°Washington Township: January low 22°, July high 86°Washington TownshipWestwoodHillsdaleRidgewoodHo-Ho-KusParamusEmerson
ColderMilder21° to 23°
Hillsdale21.9° about the same
Ridgewood22.1° about the same
Ho-Ho-Kus22.1° about the same
Washington Township22.3°
Westwood22.6° about the same
Emerson22.6° about the same
Paramus22.8° about the same

Climates most like Washington 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Washington Township, NJ22°86°48"33"
Reisterstown, MD23°86°48"34"
Gettysburg, PA22°87°45"27"
Charleston, WV25°87°46"32"
Walton, KY23°86°47"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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Washington Township averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+2.2°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 95% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.1°now 33°, was 30°
Spring+1.9°now 51°, was 49°
Summer+2.0°now 74°, was 72°
Fall+1.8°now 55°, was 54°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Washington Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Washington Township’s place among New Jersey’s.

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns168th hottest of 367 in New Jersey
Winter cold22° January low
Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns240th mildest of 367 in New Jersey
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns185th wettest of 367 in New Jersey
Snow33" a winter
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns12th snowiest of 357 in New Jersey
Hot days29 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 62% of U.S. towns44th most of 367 in New Jersey
Freezing nights89 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 66% of U.S. towns63rd fewest of 367 in New Jersey
Growing season215 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 77% of U.S. towns50th longest of 367 in New Jersey
Month by month

Washington Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Washington Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January39°22°3.3"9.4"111322° – 38°
February42°24°2.8"10.9"91320° – 39°
March50°31°4.1"5.8"11735° – 50°
April62°40°4.0"0.7"13047° – 56°
May73°51°3.8"0.0"12057° – 66°
June81°60°4.4"0.0"12067° – 74°
July86°66°4.5"0.0"10071° – 80°
August84°64°4.6"0.0"9070° – 78°
September77°57°4.2"0.0"9064° – 71°
October65°45°4.4"0.0"9051° – 61°
November54°35°3.6"0.3"10040° – 49°
December44°28°4.1"5.6"11729° – 47°
Year63°43°47.6"32.7"12439
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Washington 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 Washington Township’s center.
  • Snow: Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Teterboro Airport, 10 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 Washington Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Washington Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Washington Township in winter?

January nights average 22°. About 89 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.

How much snow does Washington Township get?

About 33 inches in a normal winter at Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.

How hot does it get in Washington Township?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Teterboro Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Washington Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 215 frost-free days, at Teterboro Airport.

What growing zone is Washington Township in?

Zone 7a 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 Washington Township?

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 Washington Township 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 Washington Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.