USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 04958 — North Anson, Maine
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Madison, ME (220 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In North Anson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 149 days (NOAA, Madison, ME).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 149 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 21
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 74"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in North Anson
Half of springs at Madison, ME see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 28, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 20 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 149 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 52 Maine stations; it reaches 167 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 172 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 11 days longer, to about May 19, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 19 | May 22 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Madison, 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 04958 →Compare North Anson with another place →
Weather by month in North Anson
July is the warmest month at Madison, ME, averaging 79°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,941 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 52 Maine stations. 28% of them (534) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 563. Precipitation totals 41.8 inches a year, most in October (4.8") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 6 | 2.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 6 | 2.3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 17 | 2.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Apr | 51 | 30 | 3.5 | 100% | 19 | 14 |
| May | 64 | 42 | 3.3 | 82% | 2 | 142 |
| Jun | 73 | 52 | 4.2 | 2% | 0 | 377 |
| Jul | 79 | 57 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 563 |
| Aug | 78 | 55 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 515 |
| Sep | 70 | 47 | 3.3 | 27% | 1 | 274 |
| Oct | 57 | 37 | 4.8 | 99% | 10 | 52 |
| Nov | 44 | 27 | 3.8 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
| Dec | 33 | 15 | 3.8 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Madison, ME (220 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, Harmony, ME, 19 miles east of North Anson, has a last frost 3 days later (May 11), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 1), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in North Anson, Maine
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in North Anson usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Madison, ME, 9.2 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 04958
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 04958 is 9 miles from Madison, ME, which stands at 220 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 04976 (Skowhegan). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 04958 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.