USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 40385 — Waco, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cressy, KY (720 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Waco, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Cressy, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 182 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 41%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Waco
Half of springs at Cressy, KY see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 8 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 201 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 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 10 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cressy, 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 40385 →Compare Waco with another place →
Weather by month in Waco
July is the warmest month at Cressy, KY, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 23°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 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,664 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 38% of them (1,379) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 772. Precipitation totals 50.9 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in November (3.3"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 3.6 | 100% | 25 | 12 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 23 |
| Mar | 57 | 32 | 4.7 | 100% | 18 | 65 |
| Apr | 68 | 41 | 4.6 | 97% | 7 | 203 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 5.4 | 22% | <1 | 425 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 722 |
| Sep | 79 | 55 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 513 |
| Oct | 69 | 42 | 3.5 | 92% | 4 | 212 |
| Nov | 57 | 32 | 3.3 | 100% | 19 | 48 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 4.2 | 100% | 22 | 19 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cressy, KY (720 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, Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY, 12 miles west of Waco and 280 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 15), a first frost 3 days later (October 22), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Waco, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Richmond State Police, KY, 10.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 40385
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 40385 is 9 miles from Cressy, KY, which stands at 720 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 40391 (Winchester). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40385 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.