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Climate in Great Notch · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Great Notch has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

A year in Great Notch at a glance

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

Jan39°22° 6" snow
Feb42°24° 8" snow
Mar50°30° 5" snow
Apr62°40° Nice outLast frost ~15
May72°50° Nice out
Jun81°59° Nice out6 days 90°+
Jul86°65° 8 days 90°+
Aug84°63° Nice out5 days 90°+
Sep77°56° Nice out
Oct now65°44° Nice outFirst frost ~28
Nov53°36°
Dec43°27° 4" snow

What stands out about Great Notch’s climate

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

★ What stands out · Rain & snow

24 inches of snow, 50 of rain and melt

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

50"
Rain + melted snow a year
81st wettest of 941 New Jersey towns
More than 86% 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

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

8.4"
JFMAMJJASOND
A normal year

What a year in Great Notch feels like

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

Winter
41° / 24°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
61° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 15
Summer
83° / 62°
22 days reach 90°
Fall
65° / 45°
First frost around Oct 28
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunAugSepOctHighs 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 Great Notch’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 October 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, August, September and October. 2.1 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

Great Notch and its neighbors

Little Falls has the coldest January nights next door (22°) and Little Falls the hottest July afternoons (86°). Tap a town to see its climate.

Clifton: January low 23°, July high 87°Upper Montclair: January low 23°, July high 86°Montclair: January low 22°, July high 86°Singac: January low 22°, July high 86°Wayne: January low 22°, July high 86°Totowa: January low 22°, July high 86°Cedar Grove: January low 22°, July high 86°North Caldwell: January low 22°, July high 86°Paterson: January low 23°, July high 87°Montclair State University: January low 23°, July high 86°Little Falls: January low 22°, July high 86°Woodland Park: January low 22°, July high 86°Great Notch: January low 22°, July high 86° Great NotchMontclair State UniversityLittle FallsWoodland Park
ColderMilder22° to 23°
Little Falls21.9° −0.1°
Great Notch22.0°
Woodland Park22.3° +0.3°

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 Great Notch 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 97% 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 55°, was 53°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Compared with other towns

How Great Notch compares

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

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 55% of U.S. towns319th coolest of 941 New Jersey towns
Winter cold22° January low
Milder than 63% of U.S. towns264th coldest of 941 New Jersey towns
Precipitation50" a year
Wetter than 86% of U.S. towns81st 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

Great Notch 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°22°3.5" 5.8"10821° – 37°
February42°24°2.8" 8.4"8820° – 39°
March50°30°4.2" 4.6"10534° – 49°
April62°40°4.0" 0.4"12047° – 56°
May72°50°4.0" 012057° – 66°
June81°59°4.7" 011067° – 73°
July86°65°4.6" 011070° – 79°
August84°63°4.6" 011069° – 77°
September77°56°4.4" 010063° – 70°
October65°44°4.5" 011050° – 61°
November53°36°3.7" 0.7"9040° – 49°
December43°27°4.4" 4.1"10428° – 47°
Year63°43°49.5"24.0"12324
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Great Notch

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 20° to 39°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal

Common questions about Great Notch’s climate

What is the coldest month in Great Notch?

January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 22°.

What is the hottest month in Great Notch?

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

How much snow does Great Notch get?

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

When is the first frost in Great Notch?

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 Great Notch?

June, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 50 inches.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Great Notch.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Is Great Notch’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 Great Notch itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Canoe Brook, NJ (12 mi, snow) and Little Falls, NJ (1 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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