U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00150630 · Kentucky

Frost Dates near Shepherdsville, KY

NOAA weather station Bernheim Forest (USC00150630), Kentucky · elevation 550 ft (168 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

Shepherdsville is the nearest town to the station (5.9 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 6only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season189 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Shepherdsville, KYSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 189 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 25Frost season near Shepherdsville, KYSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 189 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 25
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 6October 11
50% (typical)April 18October 25
90% (likely)April 1November 5
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
189 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 4
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 3

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 28 (3 days later). Frost-free season 194 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring near Shepherdsville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 6, 20% April 30, 30% April 25, 40% April 21, 50% April 18, 60% April 15, 70% April 11, 80% April 7, 90% April 1.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 6Apr 18Apr 1Fall near Shepherdsville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 17, 30% October 20, 40% October 23, 50% October 25, 60% October 28, 70% October 30, 80% November 2, 90% November 5.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 25Nov 5
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there.

What these dates mean

May 6 is the cautious spring date for the Shepherdsville area; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, it allows a gardener to set out tender crops with relatively low risk. The 50% date is April 18, marking the point at which a light frost is equally likely, while the 50% hard-frost date is April 4, indicating even odds for a frost reaching 28 °F. In fall, October 11 is the cautious date, offering only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, so it guides the final harvest of tender crops. The 50% date is October 25, and the 50% hard-frost date is November 3, each representing a median chance for their respective frost types.

A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissues that survive a light frost at 32 °F, making it a more severe threat.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 6" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 11" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Shepherdsville, KYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Bardstown, KY — 16 mi; 2 — Louisville, KY — 19 mi; 3 — Rough River Lake, KY — 51 mi; 4 — near Lexington, KY — 58 mi; 5 — Tell City, IN — 61 mi.IN25 mi · 40 km1. Bardstown, KY — 16 mi12. Louisville, KY — 19 mi23. Rough River Lake, KY — 51 mi34. near Lexington, KY — 58 mi45. Tell City, IN — 61 mi5
  1. Bardstown, KY 16 mi (26 km)
  2. Louisville, KY 19 mi (30 km)
  3. Rough River Lake, KY 51 mi (82 km)
  4. near Lexington, KY 58 mi (93 km)
  5. Tell City, IN 61 mi (98 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.9161, -85.6572.