USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42301 — Owensboro, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Calhoun Lock 2, KY (402 ft), 16 miles south.
Updated
In Owensboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 211 days (NOAA, Calhoun Lock 2, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 211 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
- January 3
- Last snow
- February 5
- Winters with snow
- 81%
- Snow per year
- 5.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
13 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Owensboro
Half of springs at Calhoun Lock 2, KY see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 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 November 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 211 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 234 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 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 12 days longer, to about April 14, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 20 and February 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Calhoun Lock 2, 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 42301 →Compare Owensboro with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Owensboro
In Owensboro, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 20 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 19, 182 days later; that gap is longer than at 90% of the 113 Kentucky stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 34 days (March 17 to April 20) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 27 days (October 19 to November 15): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Newburgh L&D, IN, 17 miles northwest, the same gap runs from April 17 to October 22, 6 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 19 | 87% | 60% |
| Mar 26 | 73% | 40% |
| Apr 250% date | 50% | 23% |
| Apr 9 | 33% | 11% |
| Apr 16 | 17% | under 10% |
| Apr 23 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Owensboro
July is the warmest month at Calhoun Lock 2, KY, averaging 87°F by day and 68°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 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,293 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 74% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 38% of them (1,637) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 852. Precipitation totals 45.7 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in August (2.9"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Feb | 47 | 30 | 3.6 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
| Mar | 57 | 37 | 4.4 | 98% | 10 | 88 |
| Apr | 68 | 47 | 4.5 | 55% | 1 | 261 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 521 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 821 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.3 | 49% | 1 | 292 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 3.4 | 99% | 11 | 63 |
| Dec | 46 | 31 | 4.3 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Calhoun Lock 2, KY (402 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, Newburgh L&D, IN, 17 miles northwest of Owensboro, has a last frost 1 day later (April 3), a first frost 1 day later (November 2), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Owensboro, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Owensboro usually arrives around January 3, and the last of the season around February 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Owensboro 3E, KY, 6.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 81% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 56 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 42301
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 42301 is 16 miles from Calhoun Lock 2, KY, which stands at 402 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 42301 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.