USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24739 — Princeton, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Athens, WV (2,495 ft), 7 miles northwest.
Updated
In Princeton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 161 days (NOAA, Athens, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 161 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 1
- Last snow
- March 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 23.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Princeton
Half of springs at Athens, WV see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 19 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 61% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 161 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 140 one year in ten. On average 125 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 9 days longer, to about May 9, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 2 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 21 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 3 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Athens, WV, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 24739 →Compare Princeton with another place →
Weather by month in Princeton
July is the warmest month at Athens, WV, averaging 82°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,943 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,077) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 652.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 100% | 22 | 6 |
| Mar | 53 | 30 | 100% | 19 | 41 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 100% | 8 | 173 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 50% | 2 | 337 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 514 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 609 |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 16% | <1 | 397 |
| Oct | 65 | 40 | 98% | 7 | 147 |
| Nov | 57 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 49 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Athens, WV (2,495 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, WV, 14 miles west of Princeton and 375 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 12 days later (October 22), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Princeton, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Princeton usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Princeton, WV, 7.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24739
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 24739 is 7 miles from Athens, WV, which stands at 2,495 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 24740 (Princeton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24739 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across West Virginia →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.