USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42635 — Pine Knot, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stearns 2S, KY (1,220 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Pine Knot, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Stearns 2S, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 177 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 27
- Last snow
- February 19
- Winters with snow
- 67%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pine Knot
Half of springs at Stearns 2S, KY see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 47% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 119 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 10 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stearns 2S, 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 42635 →Compare Pine Knot with another place →
Weather by month in Pine Knot
July is the warmest month at Stearns 2S, KY, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,583 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,325) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 755. Precipitation totals 56.4 inches a year, most in July (6.1") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 24 | 4.8 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 4.5 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Mar | 59 | 33 | 5.2 | 100% | 16 | 66 |
| Apr | 69 | 41 | 4.7 | 97% | 8 | 196 |
| May | 77 | 51 | 5.5 | 31% | 1 | 423 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 616 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 755 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Sep | 80 | 54 | 3.7 | 4% | <1 | 509 |
| Oct | 69 | 42 | 3.3 | 84% | 7 | 211 |
| Nov | 58 | 32 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 51 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 5.8 | 100% | 23 | 17 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stearns 2S, KY (1,220 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, Oneida, TN, 13 miles southwest of Pine Knot and 220 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 23), the same first-frost date.
When it snows in Pine Knot, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pine Knot usually arrives around December 27, and the last of the season around February 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Stearns 2S, KY, 3.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 67% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 64 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 42635
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 42635 is 4 miles from Stearns 2S, KY, which stands at 1,220 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 42635 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.