FrostDateCheck

Princeton, WV 24740 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Princeton, WV?

Zone 7a

The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/21, about 236 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 182 frost-free days later.

Princeton sits in USDA Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.

What to do before the first frost

About 8 weeks of growing season left in Princeton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.

Why 04/21 isn't a guarantee

04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Princeton compares

Princeton's growing season runs about 182 days, ranking 24,130 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WV, it ranks 394 of 885.

Learn more

local microclimates covers what one yard in Princeton can differ from the 24740 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Princeton's frost date answer different questions.