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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 41144 — Greenup, Kentucky

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Warnock 2, KY (910 ft), 9 miles southwest.

Updated

In Greenup, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 10 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 182 days (NOAA, Warnock 2, KY).

Last spring frost
April 20

50% probability

First fall frost
October 22

50% probability

Growing season
182 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
January 7

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 9

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
88%

22 of 25 observed

Snow per year
6.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Greenup

Half of springs at Warnock 2, KY see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 5, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 10 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 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 24, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 202 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 119 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 2, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and March 1.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 18Apr 23Apr 26Apr 30May 2May 6May 10May 14May 19
32°FApr 5Apr 10Apr 14Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 27May 3May 10
28°FMar 21Mar 27Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 8Apr 12Apr 17Apr 24
24°FMar 7Mar 14Mar 19Mar 22Mar 25Mar 28Mar 31Apr 3Apr 7
20°FFeb 21Feb 28Mar 6Mar 10Mar 13Mar 16Mar 19Mar 23Mar 27
16°FFeb 5Feb 14Feb 20Feb 26Mar 1Mar 5Mar 10Mar 14Mar 20
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1
28°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14
16°FNov 16Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 27Jan 2

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Warnock 2, 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 41144 →Compare Greenup with another place →

Weather by month in Greenup

July is the warmest month at Warnock 2, KY, averaging 86°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 24°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 24% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,596 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,316) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 753. Precipitation totals 48.2 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in November (2.9"); May to September bring 46% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Warnock 2, KY
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan42243.4100%2510
Feb46263.4100%2217
Mar56325.0100%1864
Apr69414.294%7202
May76505.224%1408
Jun82594.70%0615
Jul86635.30%0753
Aug85623.10%0727
Sep80553.70%0517
Oct69423.286%5220
Nov57332.9100%1949
Dec47284.1100%2215

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Warnock 2, KY (910 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, Portsmouth-Sciotoville, OH, 14 miles north of Greenup and 370 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 3 days later (October 25), a season 9 days longer.

Frost dates for 45662 (Portsmouth) →

When it snows in Greenup, Kentucky

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Greenup usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around February 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Greenup Locks & Dam, KY, 6.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 70 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 41144

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Greenup, Kentucky
WhenWhat to do
February 9 – February 23Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 23 – March 9Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 23 – April 6Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 20 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 30Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 8Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 22 onwardPlant 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 41144 is 9 miles from Warnock 2, KY, which stands at 910 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 41144 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.

Frost dates across Kentucky →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Kentucky