Sanford, ME 04030 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Sanford, ME?
Around 05/14 is the usual last spring frost, about 259 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/30, about 136 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Sanford, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Sanford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/14 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/03 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/28 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Sanford compares
Sanford's growing season runs about 136 days, ranking 37,633 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within ME, it ranks 395 of 456.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Sanford's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Sanford's dates instead of trusting one.