Frost and freezes can still occur well into spring, so don’t get the urge to plant just yet.

With a very mild February start to March, many trees and have blossomed across Kentucky. However, the recent cold spell has put a halt on the blooming with frost and freezes still likely into the next month.

First, it’s important to know the difference between the two. Frost can form when temperatures fall below 36 degrees. At that point, it is more likely to form in rural and low-lying areas. A freeze occurs when temperatures fall below 32 degrees for several hours.

The National Weather Service issues this when the low temperature is forecast to be between 33 and 36 degrees on clear and calm nights during the growing season.

This is issued when temperatures are expected to drop below freezing over a widespread area for several hours.

In fact, the latest freeze on record in Kentucky occurred after the Kentucky Derby, in mid to late May. Covington almost had a freeze in the beginning of June, back in 1925.

Since a frost occurs with slightly warmer temperatures, this can happen well into May for most of Kentucky.

Of course, the chances of seeing a temperature dropping below the freezing mark lessons through the month of April. Here are the chances of that happening over the region.

We have another couple of months with the possibility of a frost and freeze, so don’t go digging in the gardens just yet. As a general rule, it is best to wait after the Kentucky Derby to plant in Kentucky.

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