USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 42066 — Mayfield, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Benton, KY (365 ft), 19 miles northeast.
Updated
In Mayfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Benton, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 192 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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 Mayfield
Half of springs at Benton, KY see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 28 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 14, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 192 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 103 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 15 days longer, to about April 24, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and February 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 24°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Benton, 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 42066 →Compare Mayfield with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Mayfield
In Mayfield, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 28 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 6, 161 days later; that gap is shorter than at 58% of the 113 Kentucky stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 32 days (March 27 to April 28) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 23 days (October 6 to October 29): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Murray, KY, 20 miles southeast, the same gap runs from April 20 to October 20, 22 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | over 90% | 65% |
| Apr 2 | 75% | 40% |
| Apr 950% date | 50% | 20% |
| Apr 16 | 32% | under 10% |
| Apr 23 | 17% | under 10% |
| Apr 30 | under 10% | under 10% |
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Murray, KY, 20 miles southeast of Mayfield and 162 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 13 days later (November 1), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Mayfield, 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, 8.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 42066
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 42066 is 19 miles from Benton, KY, which stands at 365 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 42066 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.