Frost dates · USDA zone 7a
Frost dates for Owensboro, KY
Owensboro, KY sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 2 and its first of fall around November 1 — a 211-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Mar 17 | Nov 15 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 2 | Nov 1 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 20 | Oct 19 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 211 days median, at least 191 in 9 years of 10, at least 234 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 23 and first of Nov 10.
Owensboro planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 2) and median first frost (Nov 1) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 8 | Mar 5 | Jun 23 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 2 | May 2 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 19 | Mar 19 | May 3 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 5 | Apr 16 | Jun 15 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 5 | Apr 9 | Jun 23 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 22 | Apr 16 | Jul 20 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 5 | Apr 9 | Jun 23 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 5 | Apr 9 | Jun 28 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 5 | Apr 9 | Jun 28 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 19 | Mar 19 | May 28 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 19 | Apr 9 | Jun 18 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 19 | Apr 9 | Jun 23 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 19 | Apr 9 | Jun 28 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Owensboro grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Owensboro container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Owensboro frost questions
When is the last frost in Owensboro, KY?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CALHOUN LOCK 2, KY is April 2: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 20; nine years in ten, it comes after March 17. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Owensboro, KY?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 1. One year in ten it arrives before October 19; nine years in ten, before November 15.
How long is the growing season in Owensboro, KY?
211 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 191 days; one year in ten, at least 234 days.
What growing zone is Owensboro, KY?
USDA hardiness zone 7a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 42303. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Owensboro, KY?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 19 and transplant around Apr 9, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 20. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 23.
When should I plant peppers in Owensboro, KY?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 5; transplant no earlier than Apr 9, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 23.
Nearby in Kentucky
- Bowling Greenlast frost Apr 5
- Louisvillelast frost Apr 3
- Lexingtonlast frost Apr 13
- Covingtonlast frost Apr 16
All Kentucky frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →