Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 40403
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 40403 in zone 7a (the coldest night of a typical year: 0 to 5°F).
The nearest station, Berea, KY, is 1 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 5 in half of years and after April 23 in one year in ten.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berea, KYBerea College | 1 mi | 1,070 ft | April 5 | April 23 | November 2 | – |
| Crab Orchard, KY6 mi N | 11 mi | 1,025 ft | April 18 | May 9 | October 24 | 7a |
| Richmond, KYEastern Kentucky University | 13 mi | 1,000 ft | April 15 | April 30 | October 22 | – |
| Mount Vernon, KY | 15 mi | 1,160 ft | April 18 | May 6 | October 24 | 7a |
| Cressy, KY | 22 mi | 720 ft | April 20 | May 8 | October 19 | – |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Berea
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | May 6 | April 25 | April 18 | April 1 | October 23 | October 10 |
| 32°F | April 23 | April 12 | April 5 | March 20 | November 2 | October 19 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 9 | March 31 | March 24 | March 6 | November 14 | November 1 |
| 24°F | March 30 | March 20 | March 12 | February 19 | November 28 | November 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.