Frost dates for Cave City, KY
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
April 9
typical year
Safe to plant
April 29
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 30
typical year
Growing season
204 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 12 – 26 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 26 – Mar 19 | Sep 4 – 18 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 12 – Apr 2 | Sep 4 – 18 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 12 – Apr 23 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
| Onions | – | Mar 12 – 26 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Aug 7 – 21 |
| Beets | – | Mar 12 – 26 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Kale | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 12 – 26 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Broccoli | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Cabbage | Jan 15 – 29 | Mar 12 – 26 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 18 – Oct 9 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 4 – 18 | Apr 29 – May 13 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 6 – 20 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 29 – May 20 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 29 – May 27 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 29 – May 20 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 29 – Aug 21 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 29 – May 27 | – |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – 13 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | April 29 | April 9 | March 21 |
| Fall frost before | October 17 | October 30 | November 12 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around March 27 (April 12 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 8.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 4 towns.
Cave City, Smiths Grove, Park City, Oakland
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station MAMMOTH CAVE, KY US (USC00155097), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 7 miles:
42160, 42163, 42171
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.