USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 04029 — Sebago, Maine
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from East Hiram, ME (528 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Sebago, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 140 days (NOAA, East Hiram, ME).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 140 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 18
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 77.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sebago
Half of springs at East Hiram, ME see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by May 1, and one in ten still has one after May 25. Planting tender crops after May 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 25 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 33% of the 52 Maine stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 1 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 10, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 140 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 52 Maine stations; it reaches 158 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 185 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 13 days longer, to about May 25, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at East Hiram, ME, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 04029 →Compare Sebago with another place →
Weather by month in Sebago
July is the warmest month at East Hiram, ME, averaging 79°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 6°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 90% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,897 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 52 Maine stations. 29% of them (554) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 539. Precipitation totals 49.8 inches a year, most in October (5.4") and least in January (3.3"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 6 | 3.3 | 100% | 31 | 1 |
| Feb | 32 | 7 | 3.3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 18 | 4.1 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Apr | 54 | 30 | 4.5 | 100% | 21 | 26 |
| May | 66 | 41 | 3.8 | 90% | 5 | 154 |
| Jun | 74 | 51 | 4.5 | 3% | 0 | 373 |
| Jul | 79 | 56 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 539 |
| Aug | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 491 |
| Sep | 70 | 46 | 4.1 | 45% | 2 | 259 |
| Oct | 57 | 35 | 5.4 | 99% | 15 | 48 |
| Nov | 45 | 26 | 4.5 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Dec | 34 | 15 | 4.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at East Hiram, ME (528 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Windham 2NW, ME, 11 miles east of Sebago, has a last frost 12 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 19 days later (October 20), a season 32 days longer.
When it snows in Sebago, Maine
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sebago usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at East Hiram, ME, 3.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 04029
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 3 – March 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 04029 is 4 miles from East Hiram, ME, which stands at 528 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 04055 (Naples). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 04029 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.