USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 47150 — New Albany, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Louisville Mcalpine, KY (440 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In New Albany, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 225 days (NOAA, Louisville Mcalpine, KY).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 225 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 7
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 13.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in New Albany
Half of springs at Louisville Mcalpine, KY see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 89% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 225 days in a typical year, the longest of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 204 one year in ten. On average 77 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 11 days longer, to about April 11, and return around November 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Louisville Mcalpine, 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 47150 →Compare New Albany with another place →
Frost risk through the year in New Albany
In New Albany, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 14 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 31, 200 days later; that gap is the longest of the 125 Indiana stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 31 days (March 14 to April 14) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (October 31 to November 25): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Louisville International Airport, KY, 10 miles southeast, the same gap runs from April 16 to October 28, 5 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 17 | 84% | 53% |
| Mar 24 | 70% | 35% |
| Mar 3150% date | 50% | 17% |
| Apr 7 | 23% | under 10% |
| Apr 14 | under 10% | under 10% |
| Apr 21 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in New Albany
July is the warmest month at Louisville Mcalpine, KY, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 26°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,560 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 125 Indiana stations. 38% of them (1,711) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 908. Precipitation totals 48.0 inches a year, most in April (4.8") and least in August (3.3"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.5 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
| Feb | 48 | 29 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 18 |
| Mar | 57 | 37 | 4.5 | 97% | 11 | 91 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 4.8 | 45% | 1 | 277 |
| May | 77 | 58 | 4.8 | 1% | <1 | 549 |
| Jun | 85 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 768 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 908 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 649 |
| Oct | 70 | 50 | 3.5 | 12% | <1 | 323 |
| Nov | 57 | 38 | 3.8 | 96% | 9 | 71 |
| Dec | 47 | 31 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Louisville Mcalpine, KY (440 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, Louisville International Airport, KY, 10 miles southeast of New Albany, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (November 7), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in New Albany, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in New Albany usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Louisville International Airport, KY, 9.7 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47150
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 47150 is 3 miles from Louisville Mcalpine, KY, which stands at 440 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 15 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47150 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.