Benton, KY 42082 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Benton, KY?
Around 04/09 is the usual last spring frost, about 224 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/19, about 192 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Benton in Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Benton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/09 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/28 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Benton compares
At roughly 192 frost-free days, Benton places 20,294 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within KY, it ranks 447 of 909.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Benton's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Benton can differ from the 42082 normal.