USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40071 — Taylorsville, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Taylorsville Lake, KY (700 ft), 4 miles southeast.
Updated
In Taylorsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Taylorsville Lake, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 176 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Taylorsville
Half of springs at Taylorsville Lake, KY see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 109 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 9 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 14 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Taylorsville Lake, KY, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 40071 →Compare Taylorsville with another place →
Weather by month in Taylorsville
July is the warmest month at Taylorsville Lake, KY, averaging 90°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,053 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,505) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 841.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 100% | 21 | 18 |
| Mar | 59 | 33 | 100% | 16 | 79 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 97% | 6 | 217 |
| May | 79 | 51 | 24% | 1 | 478 |
| Jun | 87 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 703 |
| Jul | 90 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 841 |
| Aug | 89 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 800 |
| Sep | 84 | 55 | 5% | <1 | 587 |
| Oct | 72 | 42 | 90% | 3 | 249 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 100% | 16 | 59 |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 100% | 21 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Taylorsville Lake, KY (700 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Shelbyville 1 E, KY, 14 miles northeast of Taylorsville, has a last frost 8 days later (May 1), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 10), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Taylorsville, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Shepherdsville 5NE, KY, 14.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 40071
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 40071 is 4 miles from Taylorsville Lake, KY, which stands at 700 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40071 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.