USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42051 — Hickory, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Paducah, KY (392 ft), 17 miles northwest.
Updated
In Hickory, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Paducah, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 206 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 Hickory
Half of springs at Paducah, KY see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 21 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 7; 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 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 83 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 April 16, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 19 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Paducah, 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 42051 →Compare Hickory with another place →
Weather by month in Hickory
July is the warmest month at Paducah, KY, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 27°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 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,692 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 39% of them (1,827) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 919. Precipitation totals 50.4 inches a year, most in April (5.2") and least in August (3.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 3.9 | 100% | 22 | 18 |
| Feb | 50 | 31 | 3.9 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 4.6 | 99% | 10 | 115 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 5.2 | 62% | 2 | 296 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 571 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.0 | 66% | 2 | 319 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 4.1 | 99% | 11 | 95 |
| Dec | 48 | 31 | 4.3 | 100% | 19 | 27 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Paducah, KY (392 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, 17 miles east of Hickory, has a last frost 4 days later (April 9), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 19), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Hickory, 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, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 42051
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 42051 is 17 miles from Paducah, KY, which stands at 392 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 42086 (West Paducah). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 42051 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.