Frost dates for Lexington, Kentucky
In Lexington, half of springs have had their last frost by April 13 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 1), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 28, leaving about 196 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Lexington, Kentucky
Last spring frost
April 13
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 1: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 28
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 16.
Growing season
196 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 175.
Hardiness zone
7a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 0°F to 5°F. On the 2012 map it was 6b, half a zone colder. All 10 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 7a.
Print a year planner for Lexington
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 30 | April 13 | May 1 |
| First frost in fall | October 16 | October 28 | November 8 |
The frost-free season between them runs 196 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 217 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 175 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 31 and first on November 6. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 24 and first on October 19. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Lexington comes between March 30 and May 1, a window of 32 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Kentucky's 97 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 57 percent have their typical last frost later than Lexington does.
Planting calendar for Lexington
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 26 to February 23 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 9 to March 9 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 23 to March 16 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 2 to 16 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 9 to 23 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 16 to 30 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 16 to 30 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 30 to April 13 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 30 to April 13 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 13 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 27 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 27 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 2 to 16 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 21 |
| June 22 to July 6 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 10 |
| August | ||
| August 1 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 5 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 6 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 10 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 11 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 15 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 25 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 4 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 14 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 16 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 13 to 20 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 18 days later. That plans around May 1, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Lexington Bluegrass Airport (station USW00093820), 8 miles from the center of Lexington. It sits at about the same elevation, 980 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Georgetown, Nicholasville and Paris.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 16 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 40339, 40502, 40503, 40504, 40505, 40507, 40508, 40509, 40510, 40511, 40513, 40514, 40516, 40517, 40526, 40536. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Louisville, Kentucky: last frost around April 3, first frost around November 3 (65 miles away)
- Cincinnati, Ohio: last frost around April 18, first frost around October 25 (75 miles away)
- Huntington, West Virginia: last frost around April 14, first frost around October 26 (115 miles away)
See frost dates across Kentucky, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.