USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40444 — Lancaster, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Danville, KY (900 ft), 10 miles west.
Updated
In Lancaster, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 199 days (NOAA, Danville, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 199 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
- 41%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lancaster
Half of springs at Danville, KY see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 29 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 88% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 27 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 199 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 218 days one year in ten and falls short of 177 one year in ten. On average 103 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 14 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Danville, 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 40444 →Compare Lancaster with another place →
Weather by month in Lancaster
July is the warmest month at Danville, KY, averaging 87°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 November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,876 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,436) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 803. Precipitation totals 47.9 inches a year, most in July (5.0") and least in November (3.0"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 3.7 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 16 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 4.6 | 100% | 16 | 65 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.2 | 77% | 4 | 215 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 4.4 | 8% | <1 | 460 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 672 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 803 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 770 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.5 | 70% | 2 | 243 |
| Nov | 56 | 34 | 3.0 | 100% | 14 | 54 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 4.2 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Danville, KY (900 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, Dix Dam, KY, 10 miles northwest of Lancaster, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 7), a first frost 5 days later (November 1), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Lancaster, 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, 16.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 40444
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 40444 is 10 miles from Danville, KY, which stands at 900 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 40422 (Danville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40444 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.