USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 04412 — Brewer, Maine
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bangor International Airport, ME (148 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Brewer, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 152 days (NOAA, Bangor International Airport, ME).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 152 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 24
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 74.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Brewer
Half of springs at Bangor International Airport, ME see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 17 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 4 in half of years, as early as September 23 one year in ten, and holds off past October 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 152 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 52 Maine stations; it reaches 170 days one year in ten and falls short of 134 one year in ten. On average 161 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 17, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 17 | May 19 | May 23 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bangor International Airport, 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 04412 →Compare Brewer with another place →
Weather by month in Brewer
July is the warmest month at Bangor International Airport, ME, averaging 80°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 9°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 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,155 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 52 Maine stations. 28% of them (603) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 604. Precipitation totals 41.8 inches a year, most in October (4.6") and least in February (2.4"); 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 | 9 | 3.2 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 2.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 3.2 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Apr | 53 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 16 | 21 |
| May | 66 | 43 | 3.3 | 67% | 2 | 169 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 411 |
| Jul | 80 | 59 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 564 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.8 | 32% | 1 | 305 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 4.6 | 98% | 9 | 69 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 3.8 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 35 | 17 | 3.7 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bangor International Airport, ME (148 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, Orono, ME, 9 miles northeast of Brewer, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 1), a first frost 2 days later (October 6), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Brewer, Maine
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Brewer usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bangor International Airport, ME, 3.2 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 04412
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 04412 is 3 miles from Bangor International Airport, ME, which stands at 148 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 04401 (Bangor). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 04412 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.