FrostDateCheck

Richmond, KY 40475 Frost Dates

Frost dates for Richmond, KY, ZIP 40475

Zone 7a

Around 04/15 is the usual last spring frost, about 230 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 190 frost-free days later.

Richmond sits in USDA Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.

What to do before the first frost

Zone 7a around Richmond has about 8 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.

Why 04/15 isn't a guarantee

04/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/30 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Richmond compares

Richmond's growing season runs about 190 days, ranking 21,034 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within KY, it ranks 530 of 909.

Learn more

the frost range explains how to read the range around Richmond's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Richmond can differ from the 40475 normal.