USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42749 — Horse Cave, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Glasgow, KY (770 ft), 12 miles south.
Updated
In Horse Cave, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 201 days (NOAA, Glasgow, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 201 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 9
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 5.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Horse Cave
Half of springs at Glasgow, KY see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 28 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 27 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 13, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 201 days in a typical year, longer than at 67% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 222 days one year in ten and falls short of 179 one year in ten. On average 80 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 14 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 21 and February 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Glasgow, 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 42749 →Compare Horse Cave with another place →
Weather by month in Horse Cave
July is the warmest month at Glasgow, KY, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 29°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 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,756 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 39% of them (1,851) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 902. Precipitation totals 54.9 inches a year, most in May (5.8") 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 | 47 | 29 | 4.1 | 100% | 20 | 25 |
| Feb | 52 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 16 | 36 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 5.2 | 99% | 11 | 135 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 5.3 | 73% | 3 | 314 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 5.8 | 7% | 0 | 572 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 902 |
| Aug | 90 | 66 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 863 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 638 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.7 | 63% | 2 | 351 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 3.9 | 98% | 10 | 116 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 5.4 | 100% | 17 | 36 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Glasgow, KY (770 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, Knob Lick 4S, KY, 15 miles southeast of Horse Cave and 250 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 6 days later (November 2), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Horse Cave, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Horse Cave usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around February 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Glasgow, KY, 12.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 59 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 42749
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 42749 is 12 miles from Glasgow, KY, which stands at 770 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 42141 (Glasgow). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 42749 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.