USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 42757 — Magnolia, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hodgenville Lincoln P, KY (788 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Magnolia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Hodgenville Lincoln P, KY).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 191 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Magnolia
Half of springs at Hodgenville Lincoln P, KY see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 28 20%, and after May 3 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 25 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 93 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 28, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and February 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hodgenville Lincoln P, 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 42757 →Compare Magnolia with another place →
Weather by month in Magnolia
July is the warmest month at Hodgenville Lincoln P, KY, averaging 86°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 89% of years and May still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,085 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 113 Kentucky stations. 38% of them (1,539) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 811.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 25 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
| Feb | 50 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 23 |
| Mar | 59 | 35 | 100% | 14 | 93 |
| Apr | 70 | 44 | 89% | 4 | 256 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 16% | <1 | 472 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 811 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 77% | 2 | 288 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 100% | 11 | 79 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 20 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hodgenville Lincoln P, KY (788 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, Greensburg, KY, 16 miles southeast of Magnolia and 203 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 15), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 24), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Magnolia, Kentucky
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Glendale, KY, 16.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 42757
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 42757 is 8 miles from Hodgenville Lincoln P, KY, which stands at 788 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 42748 (Hodgenville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 42757 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.