Murray, KY 42040 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Murray, KY?
Around 04/05 is the usual last spring frost, about 220 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/01, about 209 frost-free days later.
Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Murray, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Murray before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/05 isn't a guarantee
04/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Murray compares
About 209 days separate Murray's last and first frost, putting it 15,156 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within KY, it ranks 138 of 909.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Murray can differ from the 42040 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Murray's frost date answer different questions.