Sanford, ME 04087 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Sanford, ME, ZIP 04087
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/14, roughly 259 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/30, about 136 frost-free days later.
Sanford sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a 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.
Why 05/14 isn't a guarantee
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 37,641 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within ME, it ranks 403 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 04087 normal.