Ellsworth, ME 04408 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ellsworth, ME?
Around 05/01 is the usual last spring frost, about 246 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/06, about 157 frost-free days later.
Ellsworth sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Ellsworth before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ellsworth compares
Ellsworth's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,284 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within ME, it ranks 191 of 456.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Ellsworth can differ from the 04408 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Ellsworth's frost date answer different questions.