Upper, NJ climate
Upper has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Upper feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Upper 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 25° | 3.4" | 6.1" | 11 | 5 | 27° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 27° | 3.1" | 8.2" | 11 | 7 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 33° | 4.5" | 3.4" | 12 | 2 | 38° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| May | 71° | 51° | 3.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 61° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 67° | 4.4" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 65° | 4.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 59° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 47° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 57° | 37° | 3.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 30° | 4.4" | 3.6" | 11 | 3 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 64° | 45° | 46.5" | 22.0" | 125 | 17 |
“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 Upper
Upper gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 17 days of the year.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 181 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 54% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Upper
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Upper, 80% of that work is heating and 20% is cooling.
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.
Upper and its neighbors
Upper borders 8 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.8°. Maurice River has both the coldest January nights (25°) and the hottest July afternoons (86°). Upper’s January low is 25° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Upper 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 Upper averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Upper’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 31° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Upper’s climate
What is the coldest month in Upper?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Upper?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 67°. About 28 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Upper get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Upper?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 24.
What is the rainiest month in Upper?
August, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Upper itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Estell Manor, NJ (10 mi, snow) and Belleplain Stn Forest, NJ (6 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.