Paterson climate
Paterson (New Jersey, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C52 °F, and about 1,240 mm49 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Paterson climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 236 | −620 | −228 | 783.1 | 28 |
| Feb | 338 | −622 | −130 | 783.1 | 26 |
| Mar | 847 | −229 | 338 | 973.8 | 23 |
| Apr | 1661 | 439 | 1050 | 1003.9 | 8 |
| May | 2271 | 1051 | 1661 | 1014.0 | 0 |
| Jun | 2780 | 1660 | 2170 | 1214.8 | 0 |
| Jul | 3086 | 1966 | 2476 | 1174.6 | 0 |
| Aug | 2985 | 1865 | 2475 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2679 | 1457 | 2068 | 1094.3 | 0 |
| Oct | 1865 | 745 | 1355 | 1214.8 | 2 |
| Nov | 1152 | 235 | 644 | 893.5 | 14 |
| Dec | 541 | −327 | 134 | 1114.4 | 26 |
| Year | 3086 | −620 | 1152 | 1,24049 | 127 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88% | 62% | 1.9 | 9:32 |
| Feb | 87% | 60% | 2.8 | 10:35 |
| Mar | 83% | 60% | 3.7 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 79% | 61% | 4.9 | 13:15 |
| May | 79% | 63% | 5.4 | 14:27 |
| Jun | 78% | 59% | 6.0 | 15:06 |
| Jul | 73% | 54% | 6.0 | 14:50 |
| Aug | 73% | 53% | 5.2 | 13:47 |
| Sep | 73% | 51% | 4.3 | 12:24 |
| Oct | 78% | 55% | 3.0 | 11:02 |
| Nov | 82% | 57% | 2.2 | 9:50 |
| Dec | 87% | 63% | 1.6 | 9:15 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Paterson is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 2 °C36 °F and lows −6 °C20 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 26.8 °C48.1 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,240 mm49 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is October (121 mm4.8 in), the driest is February (78 mm3.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 73% in August to 88% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 51%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 1 km/h (1 mph) in July to 3 km/h (2 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in February, about 16 cm).
Best time to visit Paterson
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and September: average highs of 22 °C71 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 101 mm4.0 in to 109 mm4.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 2 °C36 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Paterson
- Winter (December–February) — highs 236 to 5 °C41 °F, lows −620 to −3 °C27 °F, about 89 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 847 to 22 °C71 °F, lows −229 to 10 °C51 °F, about 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2780 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1660 to 19 °C66 °F, about 119 mm4.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1152 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 235 to 14 °C57 °F, about 107 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Paterson compares
Compared with Manhattan, about 23 km to the southeast, Paterson has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in May (0.8 °C1.4 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Paterson is the 171st warmest by annual mean temperature and the 49th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Ichinoseki (Japan, Dfa), Oshu (Japan, Dfa) and Sendai (Japan, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Manhattan 23 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,236 mm49 in
- New York City 26 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,312 mm52 in
- Brooklyn 35 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,312 mm52 in
- Staten Island 40 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,226 mm48 in
- Stamford 55 km · 11 °C53 °F · 1,236 mm49 in
- Bridgeport 87 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,206 mm47 in
- New Haven 113 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,208 mm48 in
- Allentown 116 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,233 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Paterson?
July is the warmest month in Paterson, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Paterson?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 2 °C (36 °F) and an average low of -6 °C (20 °F).
When does it rain the most in Paterson?
October is the wettest month with about 121 mm (4.8 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 78 mm (3.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Paterson?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 179 m, while Paterson lies at about 26 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1 °C1.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.