USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42029 — Calvert City, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Smithland L&D, IL (357 ft), 11 miles north.
Updated
In Calvert City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 207 days (NOAA, Smithland L&D, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 207 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
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Calvert City
Half of springs at Smithland L&D, IL see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 54% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 207 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 88 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 13 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 15 and February 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Smithland L&D, IL, 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 42029 →Compare Calvert City with another place →
Weather by month in Calvert City
July is the warmest month at Smithland L&D, IL, averaging 88°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,329 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,610) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 876. Precipitation totals 49.5 inches a year, most in April (5.1") and least in August (2.8"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.7 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 4.1 | 100% | 18 | 17 |
| Mar | 57 | 37 | 4.8 | 98% | 11 | 85 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.1 | 60% | 2 | 251 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 506 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 842 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.6 | 56% | 2 | 293 |
| Nov | 57 | 37 | 4.2 | 99% | 11 | 77 |
| Dec | 46 | 29 | 4.4 | 100% | 20 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Smithland L&D, IL (357 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, Benton, KY, 11 miles south of Calvert City, has a last frost 6 days later (April 9), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 19), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Calvert City, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mayfield State Police, KY, 19.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 42029
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 42029 is 11 miles from Smithland L&D, IL, which stands at 357 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 42029 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.