USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40165 — Shepherdsville, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bernheim Forest, KY (550 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Shepherdsville, 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shepherdsville
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 40165 →Compare Shepherdsville with another place →
Weather by month in Shepherdsville
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, Louisville WFO, KY, 9 miles north of Shepherdsville, has a last frost 12 days earlier (April 6), a first frost 7 days later (November 1), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Shepherdsville, 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, 5.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 40165
| 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 40165 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. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40165 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.