Sanford, ME 04047 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Sanford, ME, ZIP 04047
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/14, about 259 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/30, about 136 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sanford in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5b around Sanford has about 5 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
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 37,634 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within ME, it ranks 396 of 456.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Sanford's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Sanford can differ from the 04047 normal.