U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00179891 · Maine

Frost Dates for Woodland, ME

NOAA weather station Woodland (USC00179891), Maine · elevation 123 ft (38 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 2only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season185 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Woodland, MESpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 26 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 185 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 26Frost season at Woodland, MESpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 26 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 185 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 26
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 2October 7
50% (typical)April 21October 26
90% (likely)April 9November 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
185 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 10
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 7

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 30 (9 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 12 (14 days earlier). Frost-free season 166 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Woodland: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 2, 20% April 29, 30% April 26, 40% April 24, 50% April 21, 60% April 19, 70% April 16, 80% April 13, 90% April 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 2Apr 21Apr 92021: April 23Fall at Woodland: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 7, 20% October 14, 30% October 18, 40% October 22, 50% October 26, 60% October 29, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 9.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 7Oct 26Nov 9
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 23incomplete record
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024incomplete recordincomplete record
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 185 days between the 32°F 50% dates in Woodland, Maine, frame the interval when light-frost risk is lowest. Gardeners can expect the middle of this span to be April 21 for spring and October 26 for fall, each marking the point of an even chance of a light frost.

Cautious planning for tender crops uses the May 2 date, which carries a 10 % chance of a light frost later, while the October 7 date is the cautious fall point with a 10 % chance of a light frost earlier. The median hard-frost dates are April 10 in spring and November 7 in fall. Because a hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, it represents a more severe threat. The data reflect 28 years of record.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 2" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 7" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Woodland, MENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Robbinston, ME — 14 mi; 2 — Houlton, ME — 70 mi; 3 — Bangor, ME — 74 mi; 4 — Dover-Foxcroft, ME — 87 mi; 5 — Bridgewater, ME — 91 mi.ME50 mi · 80 km1. Robbinston, ME — 14 mi12. Houlton, ME — 70 mi23. Bangor, ME — 74 mi34. Dover-Foxcroft, ME — 87 mi45. Bridgewater, ME — 91 mi5
  1. Robbinston, ME 14 mi (23 km)
  2. Houlton, ME 70 mi (112 km)
  3. Bangor, ME 74 mi (119 km)
  4. Dover-Foxcroft, ME 87 mi (140 km)
  5. Bridgewater, ME 91 mi (146 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 45.1542, -67.3986.