Princeton, West Virginia Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Princeton weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Clear——79°49°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——83°56°+4°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——84°58°+1°
- SundayJun 7Drizzle42%—80°58°-4°
- MondayJun 8Showers37%0.27″74°63°-6°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle13%0.01″73°59°-1°
- WednesdayJun 10Light Drizzle18%—82°58°+9°
PM2.5 at 6.4 µg/m³ (AQI 36) with a 0.91 fine-to-coarse ratio and 2 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust. AQI down 9 over the last 6 hours (steady decline since this morning).
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 6.4 µg/m³ (AQI 36) with a 0.91 fine-to-coarse ratio and 2 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.91
- 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).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 3:44 AM
- Moonset
- 1:32 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
Princeton at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 29°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 31 (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 4, 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.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Princeton
SPC has placed Princeton in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
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
Princeton's warmest month is July (~70°F mean) and its coldest is January (~32°F). Rainfall peaks in May (4.6 inches) and bottoms out in November (2.5 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 3.0″ | 7 |
| February | 35° | 2.9″ | 7 |
| March | 42° | 3.8″ | 9 |
| April | 53° | 3.6″ | 8 |
| May | 60° | 4.6″ | 10 |
| June | 67° | 4.1″ | 8 |
| July | 70° | 4.4″ | 9 |
| August | 69° | 3.1″ | 7 |
| September | 64° | 3.2″ | 6 |
| October | 54° | 2.8″ | 6 |
| November | 44° | 2.5″ | 6 |
| December | 36° | 3.0″ | 7 |
Regional context
Princeton's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 32°F to a July mean of 70°F — a 38°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 41.2 inches spread across roughly 88 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Rainfall stays relatively even across the calendar: May tops out at 4.6 inches across 10.0 days with measurable rain, and November settles around 2.5 inches across 5.6 rainy days — a comparatively narrow seasonal range. That even-rainfall rhythm puts Princeton alongside places like Athens, WV, Lashmeet, WV and Oakvale, WV — places without a single dominant storm season, where moisture arrives steadily across the calendar.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around mid-April, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Heat-loving transplants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash generally hold off for another 10-14 days to clear the last spring frost risk window. The window closes around mid-November, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. These are 30-year central tendencies; year-to-year frost dates can move by up to two weeks. Local features matter: a south-facing slope inside Princeton typically runs 3-5 days ahead of the regional last-frost date, while a low-lying lot along a creek or drainage can lag the same date by a week or more on calm clear nights.
Similar climates: Athens, WV, Lashmeet, WV, Oakvale, WV, Montcalm, WV, Matoaka, WV.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Princeton?
- Princeton's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Princeton?
- May is the wettest month with about 4.6 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 41 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Princeton?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 70°F.
- What is the coldest month in Princeton?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 32°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Princeton?
- 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 Princeton get?
- Princeton averages about 88 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Princeton?
- Princeton'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
Princeton, West Virginia sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 32°F while July averages 70°F — a 38°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Princeton receives about 41 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 88 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (37.4°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.