Preakness, New Jersey Weather
Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Preakness weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Mostly Clear——82°60°—
- ThursdayJun 4Overcast——86°60°+4°
- FridayJun 5Overcast——87°64°+1°
- SaturdayJun 6Light Drizzle52%—91°69°+4°
- SundayJun 7Light Showers65%0.22″79°61°-12°
- MondayJun 8Light Drizzle34%—79°57°0°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast16%—85°59°+6°
Ozone at AQI 60 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. AQI up 18 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 60 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 60
- UV peak
- 1.8 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 60
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 8.4 µg/m³ (AQI 47) with a 0.84 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.84
- Wind
- calm
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 2:50 AM
- Moonset
- 11:49 AM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies rise from the lawn
Preakness at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 8°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 22 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 3, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Preakness's warmest month is July (~76°F mean) and its coldest is January (~31°F). Rainfall peaks in August (4.5 inches) and bottoms out in February (2.5 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 3.0″ | 6 |
| February | 33° | 2.5″ | 5 |
| March | 40° | 4.1″ | 6 |
| April | 51° | 3.7″ | 7 |
| May | 62° | 3.4″ | 7 |
| June | 70° | 4.3″ | 8 |
| July | 76° | 4.3″ | 6 |
| August | 74° | 4.5″ | 7 |
| September | 66° | 3.7″ | 6 |
| October | 55° | 4.0″ | 6 |
| November | 44° | 3.3″ | 6 |
| December | 35° | 4.0″ | 7 |
Regional context
Preakness sits within a warm-summer humid continental climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Trenton, NJ, Newark, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Paterson, NJ, Elizabeth, NJ.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Preakness?
- Preakness's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Preakness?
- August is the wettest month with about 4.5 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 45 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Preakness?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 76°F.
- What is the coldest month in Preakness?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 31°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Preakness?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Preakness get?
- Preakness averages about 77 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Preakness?
- Preakness's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Preakness, New Jersey sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 31°F while July averages 76°F — a 45°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Preakness receives about 45 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 77 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (40.9°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.