USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 40965 — Middlesboro, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tazewell, TN (1,365 ft), 14 miles southeast.
Updated
In Middlesboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 11 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 177 days (NOAA, Tazewell, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 177 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
- December 26
- Last snow
- March 4
- Winters with snow
- 97%
- Snow per year
- 7.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Middlesboro
Half of springs at Tazewell, TN see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 11 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 November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 115 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 12 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tazewell, TN, 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 40965 →Compare Middlesboro with another place →
Weather by month in Middlesboro
July is the warmest month at Tazewell, TN, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,464 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 36% of them (1,240) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 744. Precipitation totals 54.6 inches a year, most in March (5.3") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 4.7 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 5.1 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Mar | 57 | 32 | 5.3 | 100% | 16 | 49 |
| Apr | 68 | 40 | 5.3 | 97% | 7 | 170 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 4.2 | 29% | 1 | 396 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 610 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Sep | 79 | 55 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 512 |
| Oct | 69 | 41 | 3.1 | 89% | 5 | 205 |
| Nov | 57 | 31 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 40 |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 5.3 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tazewell, TN (1,365 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, Barbourville, KY, 20 miles northwest of Middlesboro and 375 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 5 days later (October 24), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Middlesboro, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Middlesboro usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tazewell, TN, 13.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 97% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 40965
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 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 40965 is 14 miles from Tazewell, TN, which stands at 1,365 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37879 (Tazewell). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 40965 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.