Your nature year
New Bedford, Massachusettsthrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to New Bedford?
Leaves usually come out around Apr 3 and the first flowers around May 6. Expect about 169 frost-free days in New Bedford: the last spring frost usually comes around Apr 29, the first fall one around Oct 15, going by NOAA's New Bedford Municipal Airport station 1.7 miles away. Across Massachusetts, fall color is usually well under way by mid-October. Head northwest for the closest of the 7 places we follow around New Bedford. The closest place we follow is Assabet River Refuge, 58 miles away, for fall foliage, usually at its best Oct 11–20.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
New Bedford's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 29 to ~Oct 15
- First leaf ~Apr 3
- First bloom ~May 6
- Fall color under way ~Oct 18 (MA)
- Today
Near New Bedford right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by mid-October in MassachusettsStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~3 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Oct 15 · last spring frost around Apr 29NOAA 1991–2020 normals, New Bedford Municipal Airport (1.7 mi, 50% dates)~2 weeks
- Fall foliage · Assabet River Refuge · 58 miusually Oct 11–20~13 days
New Bedford's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall color (MA)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Assabet River Refuge · 58 miusually Oct 11–20~13 days
- Parker River Refuge · 80 miLocal timing: Oct 11–31~13 days
- McKinney Refuge · 84 miusually Oct 11–31~13 days
Snow in New Bedford
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 24 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at New Bedford Coop (4.9 mi away): 33 inches of snow in an average year, about 9.6 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 29
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 15
About 169 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 3
First bloom around May 6
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at New Bedford Municipal Airport (1.7 mi from New Bedford), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in New Bedford?
On average around Oct 15, and the last spring frost around Apr 29: about 169 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at New Bedford Municipal Airport, 1.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach New Bedford?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 3 and first bloom around May 6, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near New Bedford?
Assabet River Refuge, 58 miles (usually Oct 11–20); Parker River Refuge, 80 miles (local timing: Oct 11–31); McKinney Refuge, 84 miles (usually Oct 11–31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in New Bedford?
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 24: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at New Bedford Coop. An average year brings 33 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)