USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42286 — Trenton, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elkton, KY (619 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Trenton, 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 29, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 207 days (NOAA, Elkton, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- October 29
- 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
- 36%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Trenton
Half of springs at Elkton, KY 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 15 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 29 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 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 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 87 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 12 days longer, to about April 15, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 15 and February 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elkton, 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 42286 →Compare Trenton with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Clarksville Outlaw Airport, TN, 11 miles southwest of Trenton, has a last frost 3 days later (April 6), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 28), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Trenton, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clarksville Wwtp, TN, 13 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 42286
| 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 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 42286 is 9 miles from Elkton, KY, which stands at 619 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 42220 (Elkton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 42286 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.