USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 04263 — Leeds, Maine
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Turner, ME (565 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Leeds, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Turner, ME).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 162 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 13
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 77.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Leeds
Half of springs at Turner, ME see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 67% of the 52 Maine stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 52 Maine stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 143 one year in ten. On average 155 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 12 days longer, to about May 13, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Turner, 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 04263 →Compare Leeds with another place →
Weather by month in Leeds
July is the warmest month at Turner, ME, averaging 79°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 10°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 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,112 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 52 Maine stations. 29% of them (606) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 589. Precipitation totals 48.1 inches a year, most in October (5.1") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 10 | 3.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 12 | 3.0 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 21 | 3.8 | 100% | 28 | 4 |
| Apr | 52 | 33 | 4.2 | 100% | 13 | 28 |
| May | 65 | 43 | 3.8 | 54% | <1 | 173 |
| Jun | 74 | 53 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 401 |
| Jul | 79 | 59 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 544 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.9 | 13% | <1 | 298 |
| Oct | 57 | 39 | 5.1 | 95% | 6 | 67 |
| Nov | 45 | 28 | 4.4 | 100% | 21 | 8 |
| Dec | 34 | 18 | 4.4 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Turner, ME (565 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, Livermore Falls 1 E, ME, 13 miles north of Leeds and 185 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days later (May 11), a first frost 11 days earlier (September 29), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Leeds, Maine
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Leeds usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Turner, ME, 7.1 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 04263
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 04263 is 7 miles from Turner, ME, which stands at 565 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 04282 (Turner). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 04263 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.