USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02746 — New Bedford, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA (80 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In New Bedford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 167 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 22
- Last snow
- March 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 30.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in New Bedford
Half of springs at New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 87% of the 71 Massachusetts stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 148 one year in ten. On average 123 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 13 days longer, to about May 12, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 18 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA, 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 02746 →Compare New Bedford with another place →
Weather by month in New Bedford
July is the warmest month at New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA, averaging 83°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,649 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 28% of them (752) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 683. Precipitation totals 45.8 inches a year, most in March (4.8") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.7 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Feb | 41 | 22 | 3.0 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Mar | 47 | 28 | 4.8 | 100% | 21 | 8 |
| Apr | 57 | 36 | 4.0 | 99% | 8 | 50 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 3.3 | 43% | 1 | 223 |
| Jun | 76 | 55 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 470 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 683 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 3.6 | 6% | 0 | 397 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 4.6 | 90% | 4 | 140 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 4.3 | 100% | 15 | 32 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 4.1 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA (80 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, New Bedford Coop, MA, 5 miles south of New Bedford, has a last frost 18 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 21 days later (November 5), a season 41 days longer.
When it snows in New Bedford, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in New Bedford usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around March 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Rochester, MA, 8.7 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 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02746
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 02746 is 2 miles from New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA, which stands at 80 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02740 (New Bedford). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02746 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Massachusetts →
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.