Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for Bowling Green, KY

Bowling Green, KY is in USDA zone 7a across its 4 ZIP codes. The median last spring frost is April 5 and the first fall frost October 31.

Bowling Green on the zone map

Outlined: its 3 ZIP code areas · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone7a0 to 5 °F
ZIP codes4
Last frostApr 5
First frostOct 31
Growing season208 days

7a 4 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Bowling Green, KY…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Bowling Green, KY

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostApril 5median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsApril 21only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostOctober 31median — 10% chance by Oct 20
Growing season208 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around March 24 and returns around November 10.

From the NOAA station Bowling Green Warren Co. Airport, KY, elevation 522 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in Bowling Green

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Feb 22 – Mar 8
SpinachSow outdoors · Feb 22 – Mar 15
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Jan 25 – Feb 8
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Mar 15 – Mar 29
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Mar 8 – Mar 22
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Mar 15 – Mar 29
LettuceSow outdoors · Mar 8 – Mar 22
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Mar 15 – Mar 29
TomatoesStart indoors · Feb 8 – Feb 22
TomatoesTransplant · Apr 12 – Apr 26
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Jan 25 – Feb 8
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · Apr 19 – May 3
BeansSow outdoors · Apr 12 – Apr 26
Sweet cornSow outdoors · Apr 12 – Apr 26
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · Apr 12 – Apr 26
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Sep 5 – Sep 19
GarlicPlant cloves · Oct 17 – Nov 21
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (Apr 5) and first fall frost (Oct 31) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 42102 came on Mar 1 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Mar 3).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 7a in Kentucky

547 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Kentucky, and rated by the USDA to survive 0 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 7a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 78

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °Farborvitae50 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Shrubs 109

alderleaf buckthorn3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAllegheny serviceberry35 ft · blooms early spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican black currant3 ft · blooms early spring · to −46 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican holly40 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −20 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 181

American bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican speedwell0.8 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican spongeplant0.5 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −24 °F

Grasses 153

autumn bluegrass1.5 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FBailey's sedge2.1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fbig bluestem6 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −46 °Fblister sedge3 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbluejoint5 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Vines 14

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican wisteria50 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −3 °Fcatbird grape30 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −13 °Fcupseed30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −3 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Ffrost grape83 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −23 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Bowling Green, KY.

Soil in Bowling Green, KY

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 42102 is Nolin — silt loam, well drained.

TextureSilt loama good balance for most vegetables
pH6.5neutral; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter3%moderate
Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately
Farmland classPrime farmland if protected from flooding or not frequently flooded during the growing seasonUSDA classification

Map unit: Nolin silt loam, frequently flooded.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 42102; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Bowling Green, KY

Summer high90 °Faverage high, July
Winter low28 °Faverage low, January
Hot days47days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights82nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days4,705base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 42 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 37 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation50.1 inper year, rain and melted snow
Snowfall9 inper year; 6 days with snow on the ground

Average high and low, by month

20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 46 °F, low 28 °F 46°28° JanFebruary: average high 51 °F, low 31 °F 51°31° FebMarch: average high 60 °F, low 38 °F 60°38° MarApril: average high 71 °F, low 47 °F 71°47° AprMay: average high 79 °F, low 57 °F 79°57° MayJune: average high 87 °F, low 66 °F 87°66° JunJuly: average high 90 °F, low 70 °F 90°70° JulAugust: average high 89 °F, low 68 °F 89°68° AugSeptember: average high 83 °F, low 60 °F 83°60° SepOctober: average high 72 °F, low 48 °F 72°48° OctNovember: average high 59 °F, low 38 °F 59°38° NovDecember: average high 49 °F, low 32 °F 49°32° Dec

Precipitation by month inches · ❄ = snowfall

0″1″2″3″4″5″6″January: 3.64 in precipitation, 3.2 in snowfall 3.6❄3 JanFebruary: 4.07 in precipitation, 2.9 in snowfall 4.1❄3 FebMarch: 4.54 in precipitation, 1.4 in snowfall 4.5❄1 MarApril: 4.81 in precipitation, 0.1 in snowfall 4.8 AprMay: 5.03 in precipitation 5.0 MayJune: 4.51 in precipitation 4.5 JunJuly: 4.26 in precipitation 4.3 JulAugust: 3.89 in precipitation 3.9 AugSeptember: 3.64 in precipitation 3.6 SepOctober: 3.63 in precipitation 3.6 OctNovember: 3.73 in precipitation, 0.1 in snowfall 3.7 NovDecember: 4.35 in precipitation, 0.8 in snowfall 4.3❄1 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Bowling Green Warren Co. Airport, KY (4 mi away); precipitation: Bowling Green Warren Co. Airport, KY (4 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Bowling Green

421017a
0 to 5 °F
421027a
0 to 5 °F
421037a
0 to 5 °F
421047a
0 to 5 °F

Kentucky planting zones →

Questions about Bowling Green

What planting zone is Bowling Green, KY?

Bowling Green, KY is in USDA hardiness zone 7a on the 2023 map (7a: 0 to 5 °F).

When is the last frost in Bowling Green, KY?

The median last spring frost is April 5 and the median first fall frost is October 31 (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Bowling Green Warren Co. Airport station).

When can I plant a garden in Bowling Green, KY?

Cool-season crops like peas and spinach go in around Feb 22 – Mar 15; tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash after about Apr 12, once frost risk has passed.

What kind of onions grow in Bowling Green, KY?

Intermediate onions: the longest day is 14 h 42 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.

How much rain and snow does Bowling Green, KY get?

About 50.1 inches of precipitation a year and 9 inches of snowfall (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).