USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42320 — Beaver Dam, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beaver Dam, KY (400 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Beaver Dam, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Beaver Dam, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 192 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
- December 23
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 94%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beaver Dam
Half of springs at Beaver Dam, KY see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 23 20%, and after April 29 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 11 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 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 92 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 23, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 16°F | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beaver Dam, 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 42320 →Compare Beaver Dam with another place →
Weather by month in Beaver Dam
July is the warmest month at Beaver Dam, KY, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 24°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,246 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 38% of them (1,606) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 859. Precipitation totals 51.9 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in August (3.4"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 3.8 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 4.0 | 100% | 18 | 17 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 5.1 | 99% | 13 | 83 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 5.0 | 75% | 4 | 261 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 5.5 | 7% | <1 | 508 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 821 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 3.8 | 3% | <1 | 593 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 4.3 | 86% | 3 | 270 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 3.7 | 100% | 12 | 78 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 4.4 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beaver Dam, KY (400 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, Rochester Ferry, KY, 11 miles south of Beaver Dam, has a last frost 5 days later (April 15), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 20), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Beaver Dam, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beaver Dam usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Beaver Dam, KY, 5.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 94% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 42320
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 42320 is 6 miles from Beaver Dam, KY, which stands at 400 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 42320 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.