USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40475 — Richmond, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY (1,000 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Richmond, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 190 days (NOAA, Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 190 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 Richmond
Half of springs at Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 23 20%, and after April 30 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 85% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 102 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 8 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eastern Kentucky Univ, 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 40475 →Compare Richmond with another place →
Weather by month in Richmond
July is the warmest month at Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY, averaging 87°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 25°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 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,935 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,446) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 826.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 25 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Feb | 48 | 27 | 100% | 19 | 13 |
| Mar | 57 | 34 | 100% | 16 | 67 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 88% | 5 | 216 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 10% | 0 | 466 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 1% | 0 | 556 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 83% | 3 | 237 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 100% | 13 | 71 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 16 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY (1,000 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, Berea College, KY, 12 miles south of Richmond, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 11 days later (November 2), a season 23 days longer.
When it snows in Richmond, 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, 1.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 40475
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 40475 is 3 miles from Eastern Kentucky Univ, KY, which stands at 1,000 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40475 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.