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Frost dates for Grand Lake Stream, ME

NOAA weather station USC00173261 at 290 ft elevation. Based on 21 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

May 4

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

May 9 30% risk · May 18 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 10

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

Oct 1 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

157 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 1 / May 24 / May 17Sep 20 / Oct 1
32°F (freeze)May 18 / May 9 / May 4Oct 1 / Oct 10
28°F (hard freeze)May 6 / Apr 29 / Apr 24Oct 9 / Oct 24

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 30 and 90% date Apr 24 (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 USC00173261, 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 under 10%, 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 14 – Mar 21Set out Mar 28 – Apr 18Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 28 – Mar 28Set out Apr 11 – Apr 25Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 28 – Mar 28Set out Apr 11 – Apr 25Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 28 – Mar 14Set out Apr 11Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 28 – Mar 14Set out Apr 11Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 28 – Mar 14Set out Apr 11Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 31 – Feb 14Set out Apr 11Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceMar 7 – Mar 21Set out Apr 11 – Apr 18Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 31 – Feb 14Set out Apr 11Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Apr 11 – Apr 25Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Apr 11 – Apr 25Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyFeb 7 – Feb 21Set out Apr 18 – Apr 25Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 14 – Mar 28Set out Apr 25Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 25 – May 2Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 14 – Mar 28Set out Apr 25; or sow Apr 11Start 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 9Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 14 – Feb 28Set out on/after May 9Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after May 9Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 18 – May 2Set out May 16 – May 23
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 16 – May 23Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 21 – Apr 11Set out May 16 – May 23Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 28 – Apr 11Set out May 23Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 14 – Apr 4Set out May 23 – May 30Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 25 – May 2Set out May 23Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 14 – Mar 28Set out May 23Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 25 – May 2Set out May 23
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 squashApr 25 – May 2Set out May 23
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 squashApr 25 – May 2Set out May 23
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.
ZucchiniApr 25 – May 2Set out May 23
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 10; there is a 10% chance of one before Oct 1. 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 Oct 1 and 10% date Sep 20. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Oct 24), 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 290 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