USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40962 — Manchester, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Manchester 4 W, KY (870 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Manchester, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Manchester 4 W, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 170 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
- January 5
- Last snow
- March 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Manchester
Half of springs at Manchester 4 W, KY see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 113 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 7 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Manchester 4 W, 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 40962 →Compare Manchester with another place →
Weather by month in Manchester
July is the warmest month at Manchester 4 W, KY, averaging 87°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,698 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,350) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 775.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 22 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 51 | 25 | 100% | 20 | 11 |
| Mar | 60 | 33 | 100% | 16 | 70 |
| Apr | 71 | 39 | 97% | 7 | 205 |
| May | 78 | 49 | 44% | 1 | 425 |
| Jun | 84 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Aug | 87 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Sep | 82 | 54 | 4% | <1 | 537 |
| Oct | 71 | 41 | 97% | 7 | 226 |
| Nov | 60 | 31 | 100% | 16 | 58 |
| Dec | 51 | 25 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Manchester 4 W, KY (870 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, Booneville 12SW, KY, 13 miles north of Manchester, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 3 days later (October 19), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Manchester, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Manchester usually arrives around January 5, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Manchester 4 W, KY, 2.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 56 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 40962
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 40962 is 3 miles from Manchester 4 W, KY, which stands at 870 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40962 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.