USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 04924 — Canaan, Maine
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Harmony, ME (320 ft), 13 miles north.
Updated
In Canaan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 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 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 141 days (NOAA, Harmony, ME).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 141 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 16
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 78.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Canaan
Half of springs at Harmony, ME see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 30, 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 21 20%, and after May 25 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 69% 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 18 one year in ten, and holds off past October 13 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 12, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 141 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 52 Maine stations; it reaches 159 days one year in ten and falls short of 122 one year in ten. On average 178 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 24, and return around September 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 17 and April 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 28°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 |
| 32°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Harmony, 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 04924 →Compare Canaan with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Madison, ME, 16 miles west of Canaan, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 8), a first frost 4 days later (October 5), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Canaan, Maine
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Canaan usually arrives around November 16, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Harmony, ME, 12.5 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 04924
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 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 04924 is 13 miles from Harmony, ME, which stands at 320 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 04924 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.