USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 41224 — Inez, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Inez 2 E, KY (710 ft), under a mile northeast.
Updated
In Inez, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Inez 2 E, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 186 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 13
- Last snow
- March 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 17.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Inez
Half of springs at Inez 2 E, KY see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 206 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 114 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 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Inez 2 E, 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 41224 →Compare Inez with another place →
Weather by month in Inez
July is the warmest month at Inez 2 E, KY, averaging 86°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°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 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,670 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 36% of them (1,335) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 772.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
| Mar | 57 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 53 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 92% | 7 | 205 |
| May | 76 | 50 | 25% | <1 | 417 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 75% | 3 | 218 |
| Nov | 57 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 46 |
| Dec | 48 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Inez 2 E, KY (710 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, Dunlow 1 SW, WV, 9 miles northeast of Inez and 403 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 13), a first frost 2 days later (October 26), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Inez, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Inez usually arrives around December 13, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Dunlow 1 SW, WV, 8.9 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 41224
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 41224 is under a mile from Inez 2 E, KY, which stands at 710 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 41224 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.