Ellsworth, ME 04640 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Ellsworth, ME, ZIP 04640
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/08, about 253 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 152 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 Ellsworth, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5b around Ellsworth has about 6 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 05/08 isn't a guarantee
05/08 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/23 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ellsworth compares
About 152 days separate Ellsworth's last and first frost, putting it 34,724 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within ME, it ranks 238 of 456.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Ellsworth can differ from the 04640 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5b and Ellsworth's frost date answer different questions.