When to plant in Lewiston, ME
Planting dates worked out from Lewiston's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 26
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 2
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
140
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Durham · 14.7 km away · station 43 m, town 66 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 20 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 25 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 27 |
| Peas | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jun 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 8 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 26 – Jun 7 | Jun 25 |
| Beet | — | Apr 26 – Jun 7 | Jun 15 |
| Potato | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 5 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 16 |
| Cucumber | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 15 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 10 |
| Winter squash | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Aug 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 18 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jul 16 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 18 – Oct 16 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | May 25 |
| Basil | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 22 |
Lewiston's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1995 | May 10 |
| 1996 | May 27 |
| 1997 | May 29 |
| 1998 | May 14 |
| 1999 | May 16 |
| 2000 | May 21 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 24 |
| 2003 | May 21 |
| 2004 | May 9 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | May 20 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 2 |
| 2012 | May 7 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 8 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | May 9 |
| 2017 | May 4 |
| 2018 | May 19 |
| 2019 | May 10 |
| 2020 | Jun 1 |
| 2021 | May 7 |
| 2022 | May 11 |
| 2023 | May 19 |
| 2024 | May 11 |
| 2025 | Apr 24 |
| 2026 | May 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 123 |
| 1996 | 119 |
| 1997 | 115 |
| 1998 | 132 |
| 1999 | 142 |
| 2001 | 151 |
| 2002 | 137 |
| 2003 | 134 |
| 2004 | 149 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 118 |
| 2008 | 139 |
| 2009 | 128 |
| 2010 | 152 |
| 2011 | 157 |
| 2012 | 158 |
| 2013 | 158 |
| 2014 | 134 |
| 2015 | 173 |
| 2016 | 154 |
| 2017 | 149 |
| 2018 | 147 |
| 2019 | 131 |
| 2020 | 110 |
| 2021 | 169 |
| 2022 | 144 |
| 2023 | 157 |
| 2024 | 158 |
| 2025 | 168 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 15.0 °C |
| 1996 | 14.9 °C |
| 1997 | 13.8 °C |
| 1998 | 14.9 °C |
| 1999 | 16.3 °C |
| 2001 | 15.3 °C |
| 2002 | 15.2 °C |
| 2003 | 14.3 °C |
| 2004 | 14.4 °C |
| 2006 | 15.2 °C |
| 2007 | 13.6 °C |
| 2008 | 14.5 °C |
| 2009 | 14.3 °C |
| 2010 | 16.1 °C |
| 2011 | 15.6 °C |
| 2012 | 15.5 °C |
| 2013 | 15.1 °C |
| 2014 | 14.7 °C |
| 2015 | 15.6 °C |
| 2016 | 15.8 °C |
| 2017 | 15.1 °C |
| 2018 | 15.2 °C |
| 2019 | 14.5 °C |
| 2020 | 14.8 °C |
| 2021 | 16.2 °C |
| 2022 | 16.0 °C |
| 2023 | 16.0 °C |
| 2024 | 16.7 °C |
| 2025 | 15.8 °C |
| 2026 | 16.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1995, Lewiston's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Durham (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.