Kentucky frost dates
The typical last spring frost ranges from Mar 31 in Louisville to Apr 13 in Lexington.
3 of the 3 Kentucky cities listed have typical frost dates. The longest frost-free season is 222 days in Louisville; the shortest is 196 days in Lexington. For a single address, look up your ZIP code: rural ZIPs use their nearest suitable station.
| City | Last spring frost | 1 in 10 after | First fall frost | 1 in 10 before | Hard freeze (28°F) | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | Apr 5 | Apr 21 | Oct 31 | Oct 20 | Mar 24 / Nov 10 | 208 days |
| Lexington | Apr 13 | May 1 | Oct 28 | Oct 16 | Mar 31 / Nov 6 | 196 days |
| Louisville | Mar 31 | Apr 16 | Nov 7 | Oct 28 | Mar 20 / Nov 17 | 222 days |
Reading the table: Bowling Green
In Bowling Green, the last spring frost typically comes around Apr 5: in half of years it is earlier, in half later. In 1 year in 10 it comes after Apr 21, 16 days later, so tender plants set out after that date have a 90% chance of escaping frost. In fall, the first frost typically arrives around Oct 31, and in 1 year in 10 before Oct 20. Hard freezes (28°F) usually end earlier in spring and start later in fall: around Mar 24 and Nov 10 in Bowling Green.
Frost dates at more Kentucky weather stations
NOAA stations across Kentucky used by our ZIP code lookup, named for the town they are in.
| Station | Elevation | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbourville | 990 ft | Apr 19 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 24 (before Oct 11) |
| Bardstown 5E | 780 ft | Apr 13 (1 in 10 after May 3) | Oct 25 (before Oct 13) |
| Bardwell 2 E | 410 ft | Apr 6 (1 in 10 after Apr 22) | Oct 30 (before Oct 18) |
| Barren Rvr Lake | 615 ft | Apr 12 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 29 (before Oct 16) |
| Baxter | 1,164 ft | Apr 15 (1 in 10 after May 1) | Oct 30 (before Oct 17) |
| Beattyville 4N | 1,080 ft | Apr 12 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 25 (before Oct 13) |
| Beaver Dam | 400 ft | Apr 10 (1 in 10 after Apr 29) | Oct 22 (before Oct 8) |
| Berea College | 1,070 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 23) | Nov 2 (before Oct 19) |
| Bernheim Forest | 550 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 25 (before Oct 11) |
| Booneville 12SW | 880 ft | Apr 24 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 19 (before Oct 7) |
| Bowling Green 21 Nne | 790 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 24) | Oct 31 (before Oct 18) |
| Bradfordsville | 660 ft | Apr 22 (1 in 10 after May 9) | Oct 20 (before Oct 7) |
| Brandenburg | 615 ft | Apr 19 (1 in 10 after May 2) | Oct 24 (before Oct 9) |
| Buckhorn Lake | 780 ft | Apr 19 (1 in 10 after May 2) | Oct 25 (before Oct 12) |
| Calhoun Lock 2 | 402 ft | Apr 2 (1 in 10 after Apr 20) | Nov 1 (before Oct 19) |
| Cave Run Lake | 840 ft | Apr 17 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 25 (before Oct 13) |
| Charley 2 Sw | 740 ft | Apr 24 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 17 (before Oct 6) |
| Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport | 869 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 7) | Oct 25 (before Oct 12) |
| Corners | 615 ft | Apr 25 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 16 (before Oct 4) |
| Crab Orchard 6 N | 1,025 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 9) | Oct 24 (before Oct 9) |
| Crestwood 4NE | 780 ft | Apr 12 (1 in 10 after May 1) | Oct 25 (before Oct 11) |
| Cynthiana | 700 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 5) | Oct 23 (before Oct 13) |
| Danville | 900 ft | Apr 9 (1 in 10 after Apr 29) | Oct 27 (before Oct 16) |
| Elizabethtown Wp Cs | 690 ft | Apr 16 (1 in 10 after May 4) | Oct 25 (before Oct 13) |
| Frankfort Capital City Airport | 804 ft | Apr 15 (1 in 10 after May 5) | Oct 24 (before Oct 13) |
| Greensburg | 585 ft | Apr 15 (1 in 10 after May 2) | Oct 24 (before Oct 11) |
| Henderson 8 Ssw | 449 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 19) | Oct 29 (before Oct 17) |
| Hodgenville Lincoln P | 788 ft | Apr 16 (1 in 10 after May 3) | Oct 25 (before Oct 11) |
| Hopkinsville | 520 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 19) | Nov 2 (before Oct 20) |
| Jackson | 1,364 ft | Apr 6 (1 in 10 after Apr 25) | Nov 1 (before Oct 18) |
| Jamestown Wwtp | 890 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 3) | Oct 24 (before Oct 11) |
| Leitchfield 2 N | 620 ft | Apr 26 (1 in 10 after May 11) | Oct 15 (before Oct 4) |
| London Corbin Airport | 1,188 ft | Apr 15 (1 in 10 after May 3) | Oct 25 (before Oct 13) |
| Madisonville | 425 ft | Apr 2 (1 in 10 after Apr 18) | Nov 1 (before Oct 19) |
| Mammoth Cave | 760 ft | Apr 9 (1 in 10 after Apr 29) | Oct 30 (before Oct 17) |
| Manchester 4 W | 870 ft | Apr 29 (1 in 10 after May 13) | Oct 16 (before Oct 4) |
| Maysville Wwtp | 515 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 4) | Oct 30 (before Oct 17) |
| Monticello 3 Ne | 979 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 5) | Oct 26 (before Oct 14) |
| Mt Sterling | 960 ft | Apr 24 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 18 (before Oct 6) |
| Mt Vernon | 1,160 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 24 (before Oct 13) |
| Murray | 527 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 20) | Nov 1 (before Oct 20) |
| Olive Hill 5NE | 888 ft | Apr 24 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 18 (before Oct 6) |
| Paducah | 392 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 28 (before Oct 15) |
| Paintsville 1E | 630 ft | Apr 19 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 25 (before Oct 11) |
| Princeton 1 Se | 497 ft | Apr 11 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 24 (before Oct 12) |
| Providence | 409 ft | Apr 7 (1 in 10 after Apr 24) | Oct 28 (before Oct 15) |
| Rochester Ferry | 390 ft | Apr 15 (1 in 10 after May 3) | Oct 20 (before Oct 9) |
| Rough Rvr Lake | 560 ft | Apr 17 (1 in 10 after May 5) | Oct 23 (before Oct 8) |
| Russellville | 570 ft | Apr 9 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 28 (before Oct 14) |
| Scottsville | 743 ft | Apr 15 (1 in 10 after May 2) | Oct 25 (before Oct 11) |
| Shelbyville 1 E | 730 ft | May 1 (1 in 10 after May 15) | Oct 10 (before Sep 24) |
| Skyline 1 Se | 1,083 ft | Apr 18 (1 in 10 after May 2) | Oct 28 (before Oct 17) |
| Somerset 2 N | 1,020 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 25) | Oct 30 (before Oct 17) |
| Stearns 2S | 1,220 ft | Apr 24 (1 in 10 after May 11) | Oct 18 (before Oct 4) |
| Summer Shade | 864 ft | Apr 26 (1 in 10 after May 16) | Oct 18 (before Oct 5) |
| W Liberty 3NW | 780 ft | Apr 29 (1 in 10 after May 16) | Oct 16 (before Oct 3) |
| Warnock 2 | 910 ft | Apr 20 (1 in 10 after May 10) | Oct 22 (before Oct 10) |
| Warsaw Markland Dam | 451 ft | Apr 17 (1 in 10 after May 4) | Oct 29 (before Oct 15) |
| Whitesburg 2SE | 1,240 ft | Apr 21 (1 in 10 after May 6) | Oct 22 (before Oct 9) |
| Williamstown | 969 ft | Apr 11 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 29 (before Oct 14) |
32°F dates from NOAA 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for each city's station. "1 in 10 after": a 10% chance of a later spring frost (planting is 90% safe after it). How to read frost dates.