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Climate in Brookdale · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Brookdale has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

A year in Brookdale at a glance

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

Jan39°23° 6" snow
Feb42°24° 8" snow
Mar50°31° 5" snow
Apr62°40° Nice outLast frost ~15
May72°50° Nice out
Jun81°60° Nice out6 days 90°+
Jul86°65° 8 days 90°+Wettest
Aug84°64° 5 days 90°+
Sep77°56° Nice out
Oct now65°45° Nice outFirst frost ~28
Nov54°36°
Dec44°28° 4" snow

What stands out about Brookdale’s climate

Read from where Brookdale sits among New Jersey’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.

★ What stands out · Rain & snow

24 inches of snow, 49 of rain and melt

July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.

49"
Rain + melted snow a year
167th wettest of 941 New Jersey towns
More than 84% of U.S. towns
24"
Snow in a normal winter
347th snowiest of 898 New Jersey towns
Less than 51% of U.S. towns
24 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
160th snowiest of 674 New Jersey towns
Less than 54% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

8.4"
JFMAMJJASOND
A normal year

What a year in Brookdale feels like

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

Winter
42° / 25°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
62° / 41°
Last frost around Apr 15
Summer
84° / 63°
22 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 46°
First frost around Oct 28
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost & heat

About 195 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 28.

117
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
<1
nights below 0° in a normal year
22
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

27
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.4
JFMAMJJASOND
Living here

Living with Brookdale’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.

The garden window

195 frost-free days. 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 28.

Snow season

About 24" a winter over 6 days with an inch or more, most in February. Snow covers the ground about 24 days a year.

Furnace season

Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 84% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.

Summer heat

About 22 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 86°.

Get outside

The nicest months are April, May, June, September and October. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Brookdale and its neighbors

Bloomfield has the coldest January nights next door (23°) and Nutley the hottest July afternoons (87°). Tap a town to see its climate.

Watsessing: January low 24°, July high 87°Ampere North: January low 24°, July high 87°Newark: January low 25°, July high 87°Belleville: January low 24°, July high 87°East Orange: January low 23°, July high 86°Lyndhurst: January low 24°, July high 87°Clifton: January low 23°, July high 87°Montclair: January low 22°, July high 86°Bloomfield: January low 23°, July high 86°Nutley: January low 24°, July high 87°Glen Ridge: January low 23°, July high 86°Brookdale: January low 23°, July high 86° BrookdaleBloomfieldNutleyGlen Ridge
ColderMilder22° to 25°
Brookdale22.5°
Bloomfield23.1° +0.6°
Glen Ridge23.1° +0.6°
Nutley23.6° +1.1°

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 Brookdale 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 98% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.0°now 33°, was 30°
🌷 Spring+1.9°now 51°, was 49°
☀️ Summer+2.1°now 73°, was 71°
🍂 Fall+1.8°now 56°, was 54°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Compared with other towns

How Brookdale compares

Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in New Jersey.

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 59% of U.S. towns452nd coolest of 941 New Jersey towns
Winter cold23° January low
Milder than 65% of U.S. towns304th coldest of 941 New Jersey towns
Precipitation49" a year
Wetter than 84% of U.S. towns167th wettest of 941 New Jersey towns
Snow24" a winter
Less snow than 51% of U.S. towns347th snowiest of 898 New Jersey towns
Growing season195 frost-free days
Longer than 69% of U.S. towns343rd longest of 941 New Jersey towns
Month by month

Brookdale weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January39°23°3.4" 5.8"10822° – 38°
February42°24°2.8" 8.4"8821° – 39°
March50°31°4.1" 4.6"10535° – 50°
April62°40°3.9" 0.4"12047° – 56°
May72°50°4.0" 012057° – 66°
June81°60°4.6" 011067° – 74°
July86°65°4.6" 011071° – 80°
August84°64°4.6" 011070° – 78°
September77°56°4.4" 010064° – 71°
October65°45°4.4" 011051° – 62°
November54°36°3.7" 0.7"9040° – 50°
December44°28°4.3" 4.1"10429° – 47°
Year63°43°48.8"24.0"12324
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Brookdale

84% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

84%heating
5,286 heating degree daysLess heating than 60% of U.S. towns
975 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 59% 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. Source: NOAA station normals.

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 21° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal

Common questions about Brookdale’s climate

What is the coldest month in Brookdale?

January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 23°.

What is the hottest month in Brookdale?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Brookdale get?

About 24 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Brookdale?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 15.

What is the rainiest month in Brookdale?

July, with 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 49 inches.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brookdale.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Is Brookdale’s weather one of its best features?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Ask your neighbors

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Brookdale itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Canoe Brook, NJ (11 mi, snow) and Little Falls, NJ (4 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.

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