USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 41501 — Pikeville, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Breaks Interstate Park, VA (1,893 ft), 18 miles southeast.
Updated
In Pikeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Breaks Interstate Park, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 182 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 28%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pikeville
Half of springs at Breaks Interstate Park, VA see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 68% 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 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 13 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 201 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 118 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 10 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Breaks Interstate Park, VA, 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 41501 →Compare Pikeville with another place →
Weather by month in Pikeville
July is the warmest month at Breaks Interstate Park, VA, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°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 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,261 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 36% of them (1,180) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 684.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Mar | 56 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 54 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 98% | 5 | 180 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 24% | 1 | 365 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 684 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Sep | 77 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 474 |
| Oct | 66 | 43 | 78% | 4 | 197 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 100% | 16 | 42 |
| Dec | 46 | 27 | 100% | 25 | 16 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Breaks Interstate Park, VA (1,893 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, Williamson, WV, 19 miles northeast of Pikeville and 1,133 feet lower, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 10 days later (November 2), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Pikeville, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pikeville Ksp Post 9, KY, 5.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 41501
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 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 41501 is 18 miles from Breaks Interstate Park, VA, which stands at 1,893 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 41501 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.