Your nature year
Louisville, Kentuckythrough the year
Also for Jeffersonville, IN, New Albany, IN, Jeffersontown, KY, Lexington, KY, Georgetown, KY, Richmond, KY, Nicholasville, KY, Frankfort, KY: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Louisville?
We follow 4 places within 150 miles of Louisville; the nearest lies 45 miles to the west. The closest place we follow is Hoosier National Forest, 45 miles away, for fall foliage, usually well under way by late October (statewide). For wildflowers, the nearest is Mammoth Cave (72 mi, Mar 1–May 31 (local timing)). Frost usually lets go around Apr 6 and comes back around Nov 1, according to the nearest NOAA station, Louisville Wfo: roughly 209 days without it. Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 8, with first blooms around Apr 9. At some 520 feet up, Louisville is on low ground. Across Kentucky, fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Louisville's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 6 to ~Nov 1
- First leaf ~Mar 8
- First bloom ~Apr 9
- Fall color under way ~Oct 25 (KY)
- Today
Near Louisville right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in KentuckyStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~4 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Nov 1 · last spring frost around Apr 6NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Louisville Wfo (3.5 mi, 50% dates)~5 weeks
- Fall foliage · Hoosier National Forest · 45 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
Louisville's nature year
- Wildflowers · Mammoth CaveMar–May
- Spring green-upMar
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall color (KY)Oct
- First fall frostNov
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Hoosier National Forest · 45 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
- Mammoth Cave · 72 miLocal timing: Oct 21–31~3 weeks
- Daniel Boone National Forest · 118 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
Wildflowers
- Mammoth Cave · 72 miLocal timing: Mar 1–May 31~5 months
- Daniel Boone National Forest · 118 miLocal timing: Mar 21–Apr 30~6 months
Snow in Louisville
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 20 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Louisville Wfo (3.5 mi away): 15 inches of snow in an average year, about 4.6 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 6
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Nov 1
About 209 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 8
First bloom around Apr 9
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Louisville Wfo (3.5 mi from Louisville), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Louisville?
On average around Nov 1, and the last spring frost around Apr 6: about 209 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Louisville Wfo, 3.5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Louisville?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 8 and first bloom around Apr 9, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Louisville?
Hoosier National Forest, 45 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Mammoth Cave, 72 miles (local timing: Oct 21–31); Daniel Boone National Forest, 118 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Louisville?
Mammoth Cave, 72 miles (local timing: Mar 1–May 31); Daniel Boone National Forest, 118 miles (local timing: Mar 21–Apr 30). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Louisville?
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 20: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Louisville Wfo. An average year brings 15 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)