Princeton weather in September

In September, Princeton sees average daytime highs of 77°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 4.0 in of rain across 9.2 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 73°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Princeton's 2nd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Princeton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
77°
4th warmest
Overnight low
60°
9th coldest
Rainfall
4.0 in
9.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
5:45 AM – 6:01 PM
Cloud cover
56%
2nd clearest
Wind
6 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 73°F by the end.

A typical September day in Princeton reaches about 77°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 68°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 7°F cooler than August and about 12°F warmer than October.

40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18265
28164
38164
48164
58164
68063
78063
88063
97962
107962
117962
127861
137861
147860
157760
167760
177759
187659
197659
207658
217558
227558
237457
247457
257456
267356
277356
287355
297255
307255

How September really feels in Princeton

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

September sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Princeton weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan40° / 27°3.39.33.89.50.0
Feb43° / 28°3.08.83.410.40.5
Mar51° / 35°4.210.32.611.72.5
Apr63° / 45°3.610.60.3135.2
May72° / 54°3.511.4014.26.4
Jun81° / 63°4.010.8014.86.0
Jul86° / 69°4.211.3014.64.9
Aug84° / 67°4.010.4013.65.6
Sep77° / 60°4.09.2012.36.9
Oct65° / 49°3.68.40.110.96.2
Nov54° / 39°2.97.80.39.83.5
Dec45° / 31°4.09.41.99.21.0

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25248
35347
45347
55347
65347
75347
85347
95446
105446
115446
125248
135248
145347
155248
165248
175149
185050
195050
205050
214951
224951
234951
244951
254852
264951
274951
285050
295050
305050

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Princeton gets around 4.0 in of rain over 9.2 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 30% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
128
228
328
428
529
629
729
829
929
1029
1129
1229
1329
1429
1529
1629
1729
1829
1930
2030
2131
2231
2331
2431
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of September feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 38% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 21% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
12221222113
22322222113
32422222013
42422212012
52523211912
62623211812
72723211811
82823211711
93023211610
10312321169
11322321169
12332221158
13342221157
14362221157
15372221146
16382121145
17402121145
18412120144
19422120144
20432019143
21452019143
22462018132
23472018132
24492017132
25511916122
26521916121
27541915111
28541915111
29551815111
30571814101

Wind in September

Winds average 6 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 78 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:30 AM to 5:59 AM, and sunset from 6:26 PM to 5:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.95:306:26
212.95:316:25
312.85:326:23
412.85:336:21
512.85:346:20
612.75:356:18
712.75:366:16
812.65:376:15
912.65:386:13
1012.55:396:11
1112.55:406:10
1212.45:416:08
1312.45:426:06
1412.45:436:04
1512.35:446:03
1612.35:456:01
1712.25:465:59
1812.25:475:57
1912.15:485:56
2012.15:495:54
2112.05:505:52
2212.05:515:50
2311.95:525:49
2411.95:535:47
2511.95:545:45
2611.85:555:43
2711.85:565:42
2811.75:575:40
2911.75:585:38
3011.65:595:37

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.01 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 4.21 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.0Bright
224.0Moderate
233.9Moderate
243.9Moderate
253.9Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Princeton

In seasonPeak

In September, Princeton sits inside its atlantic hurricane season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Princeton sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is September a good time to visit Princeton?

Our two travel scores rate September for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

September is a reasonable time to visit Princeton for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Princeton in September

From September's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In September, Princeton sees daytime highs around 77°F and nights near 60°F. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Princeton in September

The nearest coast averages about 71°F in September — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 41 mi away) is warmest in August at about 74°F and coldest in February near 40°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 30 to Sep 27 — about 3 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan43Bracing
Feb40Bracing
Mar41Bracing
Apr46Bracing
May55Bracing
Jun65Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep71Refreshing
Oct64Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec49Bracing

UV index in Princeton in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Princeton peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Princeton in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where September falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Princeton is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (November, 9 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1518 µg/m³Nov 149 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Princeton?

Princeton sits at 40.3°N, 74.7°W, 203 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mercerville-Hamilton Square, 8.1 mi away.

Topography around Princeton

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Princeton.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Princeton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 377 ft around an average of 157 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 673 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,962 ft.

The land around Princeton is covered by trees (74%) within 2 miles, trees (65%) within 10 miles, and trees (60%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
377 ft
10 miles
673 ft
50 miles
1,962 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
September weather nearby: Mercerville-Hamilton Square 8.1 mi · Hillsborough 9.3 mi · Ewing 9.3 mi · Trenton 9.9 mi · North Brunswick 12 mi · Somerset 14 mi · East Brunswick 14 mi · New Brunswick 14 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Princeton (40.3487°, -74.659°, elevation 203 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).