Old Town, ME 04417 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Old Town, ME?
Around 05/04 is the usual last spring frost, about 249 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/06, about 153 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Old Town, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Old Town 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
05/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Old Town compares
About 153 days separate Old Town's last and first frost, putting it 34,504 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within ME, it ranks 207 of 456.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Old Town can differ from the 04417 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Old Town's frost date answer different questions.