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Frost dates for Barnard, ME

NOAA weather station USC00170398 at 545 ft elevation. Based on 18 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

May 12

median: freeze still happened after this date in half of years

May 18 30% risk · May 26 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 1

median: a freeze had happened by this date in half of years

Sep 18 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

141 days

median length between last spring and first fall 32°F freeze

How to read these dates

Spring: a "10% risk" date means NOAA's 1991-2020 data put the chance of a 32°F or colder night after that date at 10%. The "30% risk" date is the convention used by some popular frost calculators (the Old Farmer's Almanac says it uses a 30% probability threshold, source). Fall: a "10%" date means a 10% chance the first freeze comes before it. Source: NOAA readme.

Full table for this station

ThresholdSpring: latest-freeze date at risk of 10% / 30% / 50%Fall: first-freeze date at chance of 10% / 50%
36°F (frost possible)Jun 7 / May 31 / May 25Sep 7 / Sep 20
32°F (freeze)May 26 / May 18 / May 12Sep 18 / Oct 1
28°F (hard freeze)May 13 / May 4 / Apr 30Sep 28 / Oct 12

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date May 6 and 90% date Apr 30 (frost still likely after these early dates). Data quality: Representative: 10+ years of qualifying data, missing months filled from nearby stations. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USC00170398, read 2026-10-17.

Is Memorial Day safe here?

Many New England gardeners wait for Memorial Day (it falls between May 25 and May 31). At this station, NOAA's chance of a 32°F or colder night after May 25 is 10-30%, and after May 31 is under 10%. Your own spot may differ. See all stations.

UMaine Extension gives central-Maine planting dates and says to plant 10-14 days earlier on the coast and 10-14 days later in northern Maine (read 2026-10-17).

Your planting schedule

Pick how cautious you want to be. The dates apply UNH Extension's per-crop rules (UNH fact sheet, read 2026-10-17) to this station's last-freeze date. UNH's sheet does not say which probability its "last frost" means, so you choose. These are planning dates, not instructions; follow your seed packet and the weather.

Last-frost reference date

Showing the schedule for the 2027 season (dates repeat yearly). Table below defaults to Typical; it updates when you choose.

CropStart seeds indoorsOutdoorsUNH Extension rule used
SpinachFeb 23 – Mar 30Set out Apr 6 – Apr 27Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliMar 9 – Apr 6Set out Apr 20 – May 4Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutMar 9 – Apr 6Set out Apr 20 – May 4Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageMar 9 – Mar 23Set out Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleMar 9 – Mar 23Set out Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiMar 9 – Mar 23Set out Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekFeb 9 – Feb 23Set out Apr 20Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceMar 16 – Mar 30Set out Apr 20 – Apr 27Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionFeb 9 – Feb 23Set out Apr 20Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Apr 20 – May 4Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Apr 20 – May 4Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyFeb 16 – Mar 2Set out Apr 27 – May 4Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 23 – Apr 6Set out May 4Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow May 4 – May 11Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 23 – Apr 6Set out May 4; or sow Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost; or sow seed 4 wk before last frost.
Bean—Sow on/after May 18Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 23 – Mar 9Set out on/after May 18Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after May 18Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 27 – May 11Set out May 25 – Jun 1
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Sweet potato—Plant slips May 25 – Jun 1Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 30 – Apr 20Set out May 25 – Jun 1Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilApr 6 – Apr 20Set out Jun 1Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 23 – Apr 13Set out Jun 1 – Jun 8Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonMay 4 – May 11Set out Jun 1Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 23 – Apr 6Set out Jun 1Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinMay 4 – May 11Set out Jun 1
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Summer squashMay 4 – May 11Set out Jun 1
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Winter squashMay 4 – May 11Set out Jun 1
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
ZucchiniMay 4 – May 11Set out Jun 1
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Rutabaga—Sow Jun 15 – Jul 15Sow seed in garden mid-June to mid-July (fixed dates, not tied to frost).
Beet—Sow when soil reaches 45°F (use a soil thermometer)Sow seed in garden when soil warms to 45°F.
Carrot—Sow when soil reaches 60°F (use a soil thermometer)Sow seed in garden when soil warms to 60°F.
Corn—Sow when soil reaches 60°F (use a soil thermometer)Sow seed in garden when soil warms to 60°F.
Pea—Sow as soon as soil thawsSow seed in garden as soon as soil thaws.

Fall: when the garden ends

At this station the median first 32°F freeze is Oct 1; there is a 10% chance of one before Sep 18. Tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) can be damaged at 33-36°F (Almanac.com notes some plants are damaged in that range); the 36°F first-frost date here is median Sep 20 and 10% date Sep 7. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Oct 12), and that row covers can extend the season. UNH: Fall vegetable gardening, read 2026-10-17.

Your garden is not the weather station

This station sits at 545 ft. UNH Extension says first-freeze dates vary "even between relatively close locations, based on factors such as elevation" (source), and notes that gardeners who keep garden journals can use their own records. Gardeners on Reddit describe the same thing: elevation and cold spots change when they can plant (for example r/vermont). Treat these dates as a starting point.

Nearby stations