USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 41653 — Prestonsburg, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Prestonsburg 3WSW, KY (760 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Prestonsburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Prestonsburg 3WSW, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 183 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 24
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Prestonsburg
Half of springs at Prestonsburg 3WSW, KY see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 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 8 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 27, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, shorter than at 78% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 201 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 106 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 May 4, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Prestonsburg 3WSW, 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 41653 →Compare Prestonsburg with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Paintsville 1E, KY, 10 miles north of Prestonsburg, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 2 days later (October 25), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Prestonsburg, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Prestonsburg usually arrives around December 24, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Paintsville 1E, KY, 10.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 41653
| 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 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 41653 is 4 miles from Prestonsburg 3WSW, KY, which stands at 760 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 41653 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.