USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 40353 — Mt Sterling, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mt Sterling, KY (960 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Mt Sterling, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Mt Sterling, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 175 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 27
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 91%
- Snow per year
- 8.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mt Sterling
Half of springs at Mt Sterling, KY see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 12 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 116 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 May 5, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mt Sterling, 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 40353 →Compare Mt Sterling with another place →
Weather by month in Mt Sterling
July is the warmest month at Mt Sterling, KY, averaging 87°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,553 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 90% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,305) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 769. Precipitation totals 48.6 inches a year, most in July (5.4") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 22 | 3.5 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 11 |
| Mar | 56 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 18 | 58 |
| Apr | 67 | 40 | 4.4 | 97% | 7 | 179 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.5 | 32% | 1 | 413 |
| Jun | 83 | 59 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 636 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Aug | 86 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Sep | 80 | 53 | 3.6 | 3% | 0 | 499 |
| Oct | 69 | 42 | 3.2 | 94% | 5 | 205 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 3.4 | 100% | 18 | 46 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 4.3 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mt Sterling, KY (960 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, Stanton 2W, KY, 14 miles south of Mt Sterling and 240 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 2 days later (October 20), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Mt Sterling, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mt Sterling usually arrives around December 27, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mt Sterling, KY, 0.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 91% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 52 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 40353
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 40353 is under a mile from Mt Sterling, KY, which stands at 960 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 40353 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.