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 40515
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 40515 in zone 7a (the coldest night of a typical year: 0 to 5°F).
The nearest station, Richmond, KY, is 12 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 15 in half of years and after April 30 in one year in ten.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, KYEastern Kentucky University | 12 mi | 1,000 ft | April 15 | April 30 | October 22 | – |
| Lexington, KYLexington Bluegrass Airport | 14 mi | 980 ft | April 13 | May 1 | October 28 | 7a |
| Dix Dam, KY | 18 mi | 870 ft | April 7 | April 24 | November 1 | 7a |
| Cressy, KY | 21 mi | 720 ft | April 20 | May 8 | October 19 | – |
| Versailles, KY3 mi NNW | 22 mi | 891 ft | April 12 | May 2 | October 28 | 7a |
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 Richmond
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 8 | April 30 | April 23 | April 12 | October 14 | October 3 |
| 32°F | April 30 | April 20 | April 15 | March 31 | October 22 | October 10 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 17 | April 8 | April 3 | March 20 | November 1 | October 18 |
| 24°F | April 6 | March 31 | March 26 | March 7 | November 15 | October 31 |
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.