Scotch Plains, NJ climate
Scotch Plains has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Scotch Plains feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Scotch Plains weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 3.5" | 5.1" | 10 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 25° | 2.9" | 8.3" | 8 | 22° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 4.2" | 5.3" | 10 | 36° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.1" | 0 | 11 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.5" | 0 | 11 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 4.9" | 0 | 10 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 4.4" | 0 | 10 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 45° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 9 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 4.4" | 2.4" | 10 | 29° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 48.7" | 21.4" | 117 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Scotch Plains
Scotch Plains gets 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first one by October 28. That leaves about 198 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Scotch Plains
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Scotch Plains, 81% of that work is heating and 19% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Scotch Plains and its neighbors
Scotch Plains borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.8°. Berkeley Heights has the coldest January nights (22°) and Clark the hottest July afternoons (87°). Scotch Plains’s January low is 23° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Scotch Plains compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Scotch Plains averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°). The shift is larger than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Scotch Plains’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 29° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Scotch Plains’s climate
What is the coldest month in Scotch Plains?
January, with a typical high of 40° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Scotch Plains?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 29 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Scotch Plains get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Scotch Plains?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 11.
What is the rainiest month in Scotch Plains?
July, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 49 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Scotch Plains itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Plainfield, NJ (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.