When to plant in Jamestown, KY
Planting dates worked out from Jamestown's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 4
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 16
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 22
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
187
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Monticello 3 Ne · 24.7 km away · station 298 m, town 296 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 28 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 12 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 28 |
| Peas | — | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | Apr 29 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 16 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 26 – May 7 | May 25 |
| Beet | — | Mar 19 – Apr 30 | May 8 |
| Potato | — | Mar 26 – Apr 16 | Jun 4 |
| Kale | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 1 |
| Broccoli | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | May 18 |
| Cucumber | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 23 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 18 |
| Winter squash | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Jun 17 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | Apr 12 |
| Basil | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 30 |
Jamestown's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1957 | May 6 |
| 1958 | Apr 13 |
| 1959 | Apr 23 |
| 1960 | May 2 |
| 1961 | May 27 |
| 1962 | Apr 21 |
| 1963 | May 2 |
| 1964 | Apr 10 |
| 1965 | Apr 3 |
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1967 | Apr 28 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | Apr 25 |
| 1970 | Apr 12 |
| 1971 | May 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 27 |
| 1973 | Apr 14 |
| 1974 | Apr 25 |
| 1975 | Apr 16 |
| 1976 | May 4 |
| 1977 | Apr 9 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | Apr 29 |
| 1980 | Apr 17 |
| 1981 | Apr 6 |
| 1983 | Apr 25 |
| 1984 | Apr 7 |
| 1986 | May 5 |
| 1987 | Apr 10 |
| 1988 | Apr 21 |
| 1989 | May 8 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 1 |
| 1992 | Apr 30 |
| 1993 | Apr 23 |
| 1994 | Apr 9 |
| 1995 | Apr 7 |
| 1996 | Apr 28 |
| 1997 | May 17 |
| 1998 | Apr 12 |
| 1999 | Mar 31 |
| 2000 | Apr 10 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 1 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 16 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 2 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1957 | 166 |
| 1958 | 181 |
| 1959 | 178 |
| 1960 | 171 |
| 1961 | 129 |
| 1962 | 185 |
| 1963 | 180 |
| 1964 | 178 |
| 1965 | 192 |
| 1966 | 163 |
| 1967 | 167 |
| 1968 | 151 |
| 1969 | 175 |
| 1970 | 187 |
| 1971 | 183 |
| 1972 | 175 |
| 1973 | 185 |
| 1974 | 160 |
| 1975 | 197 |
| 1976 | 166 |
| 1977 | 185 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 167 |
| 1980 | 171 |
| 1981 | 179 |
| 1983 | 193 |
| 1986 | 191 |
| 1987 | 176 |
| 1988 | 167 |
| 1989 | 153 |
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1991 | 188 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 187 |
| 1994 | 200 |
| 1995 | 200 |
| 1996 | 173 |
| 1997 | 157 |
| 1998 | 193 |
| 1999 | 204 |
| 2000 | 180 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 165 |
| 2003 | 184 |
| 2004 | 208 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 197 |
| 2008 | 186 |
| 2010 | 215 |
| 2011 | 210 |
| 2012 | 201 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1957 | 21.6 °C |
| 1958 | 20.6 °C |
| 1959 | 21.4 °C |
| 1960 | 20.7 °C |
| 1961 | 19.5 °C |
| 1962 | 20.7 °C |
| 1963 | 20.3 °C |
| 1964 | 21.2 °C |
| 1965 | 21.4 °C |
| 1966 | 20.1 °C |
| 1967 | 19.6 °C |
| 1968 | 20.7 °C |
| 1969 | 21.1 °C |
| 1970 | 21.4 °C |
| 1971 | 20.4 °C |
| 1972 | 20.4 °C |
| 1973 | 20.4 °C |
| 1974 | 20.0 °C |
| 1975 | 20.6 °C |
| 1976 | 19.2 °C |
| 1977 | 21.6 °C |
| 1978 | 21.0 °C |
| 1979 | 20.0 °C |
| 1980 | 21.5 °C |
| 1981 | 20.7 °C |
| 1983 | 20.6 °C |
| 1984 | 20.4 °C |
| 1985 | 19.9 °C |
| 1986 | 21.0 °C |
| 1987 | 20.9 °C |
| 1988 | 20.2 °C |
| 1989 | 19.3 °C |
| 1990 | 19.6 °C |
| 1991 | 21.3 °C |
| 1992 | 19.0 °C |
| 1993 | 20.1 °C |
| 1994 | 19.5 °C |
| 1995 | 20.3 °C |
| 1996 | 19.4 °C |
| 1997 | 18.4 °C |
| 1998 | 20.8 °C |
| 1999 | 20.6 °C |
| 2000 | 20.1 °C |
| 2001 | 20.5 °C |
| 2002 | 20.8 °C |
| 2003 | 19.8 °C |
| 2004 | 20.0 °C |
| 2005 | 21.0 °C |
| 2006 | 20.4 °C |
| 2007 | 21.2 °C |
| 2008 | 20.1 °C |
| 2010 | 21.9 °C |
| 2011 | 21.1 °C |
| 2012 | 21.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1957, Jamestown's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Monticello 3 Ne (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.