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USDA Hardiness Zone 7a

Frost Dates for 42721 — Caneyville, Kentucky

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Leitchfield 2 N, KY (620 ft), 13 miles northeast.

Updated

In Caneyville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Leitchfield 2 N, KY).

Last spring frost
April 26

50% probability

First fall frost
October 15

50% probability

Growing season
172 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7a

0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night

First snow
December 24

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 2

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

19 of 19 observed

Snow per year
9.4"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Caneyville

Half of springs at Leitchfield 2 N, KY see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 85% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 24; 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 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 110 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 8 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 11.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 21Apr 25Apr 29May 1May 4May 7May 10May 14May 19
32°FApr 11Apr 15Apr 18Apr 22Apr 26Apr 29May 2May 5May 11
28°FMar 30Apr 5Apr 9Apr 11Apr 14Apr 16Apr 19Apr 24Apr 30
24°FMar 19Mar 24Mar 29Mar 31Apr 2Apr 6Apr 9Apr 12Apr 17
20°FMar 4Mar 11Mar 17Mar 20Mar 24Mar 28Mar 31Apr 3Apr 8
16°FFeb 21Feb 27Mar 2Mar 6Mar 11Mar 16Mar 19Mar 23Mar 29
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FOct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Leitchfield 2 N, 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 42721 →Compare Caneyville with another place →

Weather by month in Caneyville

July is the warmest month at Leitchfield 2 N, KY, averaging 86°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 34% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,561 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 37% of them (1,304) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 759. Precipitation totals 49.8 inches a year, most in May (4.9") and least in September (3.3"); May to September bring 42% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Leitchfield 2 N, KY
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan42213.5100%247
Feb47224.1100%2211
Mar56314.7100%1652
Apr67414.699%6187
May75514.934%<1411
Jun83604.30%0636
Jul86644.20%0759
Aug85614.10%0719
Sep80543.36%<1514
Oct69424.097%5205
Nov56323.4100%1651
Dec46244.7100%229

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Leitchfield 2 N, KY (620 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, Rough Rvr Lake, KY, 14 miles north of Caneyville, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 8 days later (October 23), a season 15 days longer.

Frost dates for 40119 (Falls Of Rough) →

When it snows in Caneyville, Kentucky

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Caneyville usually arrives around December 24, and the last of the season around March 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Leitchfield 2 N, KY, 13.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 55 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 42721

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Caneyville, Kentucky
WhenWhat to do
February 15 – March 1Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 1 – March 15Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 29 – April 12Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 26 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 23Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 1Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 15 onwardPlant 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 42721 is 13 miles from Leitchfield 2 N, KY, which stands at 620 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 42754 (Leitchfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 42721 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.

Frost dates across Kentucky →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7a places in Kentucky