USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40150 — Lebanon Junction, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bernheim Forest, KY (550 ft), 6 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lebanon Junction, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Bernheim Forest, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 189 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
- 45%
- Snow per year
- 2.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lebanon Junction
Half of springs at Bernheim Forest, KY see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 54% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 166 one year in ten. On average 92 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 11 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and February 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bernheim Forest, 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 40150 →Compare Lebanon Junction with another place →
Weather by month in Lebanon Junction
July is the warmest month at Bernheim Forest, KY, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 88% of years and May still brings one in 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,246 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 38% of them (1,609) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 840.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 26 | 100% | 22 | 16 |
| Feb | 50 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 100% | 14 | 96 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 88% | 4 | 267 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 18% | <1 | 505 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 840 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 803 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 587 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 74% | 2 | 297 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 100% | 12 | 89 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 100% | 19 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bernheim Forest, KY (550 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, Elizabethtown Wp Cs, KY, 14 miles southwest of Lebanon Junction, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 16), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Boston 6 SW, KY, 7.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 40150
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 40150 is 6 miles from Bernheim Forest, KY, which stands at 550 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 40165 (Shepherdsville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40150 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.