USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 41064 — Mount Olivet, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cynthiana, KY (700 ft), 16 miles southwest.
Updated
In Mount Olivet, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 188 days (NOAA, Cynthiana, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 188 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
- December 4
- Last snow
- March 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 17.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mount Olivet
Half of springs at Cynthiana, KY see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 47% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 13 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 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 188 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 109 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 11 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cynthiana, 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 41064 →Compare Mount Olivet with another place →
Weather by month in Mount Olivet
July is the warmest month at Cynthiana, KY, averaging 87°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°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 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,758 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 36% of them (1,365) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 804. Precipitation totals 47.7 inches a year, most in May (5.0") and least in August (3.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 23 | 3.4 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 3.5 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 4.5 | 100% | 17 | 56 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 4.6 | 90% | 5 | 191 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 5.0 | 18% | <1 | 439 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 661 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 804 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 536 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 3.5 | 80% | 3 | 229 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 3.2 | 100% | 15 | 49 |
| Dec | 46 | 27 | 4.1 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cynthiana, KY (700 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, Flemingsburg 2 N, KY, 18 miles east of Mount Olivet and 240 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 12), a first frost 7 days later (October 30), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Mount Olivet, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mount Olivet usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ripley Exp Farm, OH, 23.6 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 41064
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 41064 is 16 miles from Cynthiana, KY, which stands at 700 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 40361 (Paris). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 41064 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.