Princeton reaches 100° on about 17 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Princeton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Princeton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Princeton’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Princeton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mckinney Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Princeton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 41 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 88 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Lavon Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Princeton
50% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mckinney Muni Airport.
Living with Princeton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Princeton from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Princeton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Princeton yet.
Climates most like Princeton’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton, TX | 34° | 94° | 41" | 0.2" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Milledgeville, GA | 34° | 93° | 47" | 0.6" |
| Okmulgee, OK | 28° | 93° | 43" | 0.9" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Princeton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Princeton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Princeton’s place among Texas’.
Princeton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Princeton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lavon Dam, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 34° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 59° | 38° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 53° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| May | 82° | 62° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 70° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| July | 94° | 74° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| August | 95° | 73° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 91° |
| September | 88° | 66° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| October | 77° | 54° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| Year | 75° | 54° | 40.9" | 0.2" | 88 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Princeton’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Princeton’s center.
- Snow: Lavon Dam, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mckinney Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Princeton’s climate
What is the weather like in Princeton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Princeton in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 48 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Princeton get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Lavon Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Princeton?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 74°. About 97 days a year reach 90° and 17 reach 100° (Mckinney Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Princeton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 239 frost-free days, at Mckinney Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Princeton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Princeton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Princeton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Princeton.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.