New Bedford, MA 02571 Frost Dates
When can you plant in New Bedford, MA?
Around 04/21 is the usual last spring frost, about 236 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/24, about 186 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts New Bedford in Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in New Bedford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around New Bedford's last frost
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How New Bedford compares
New Bedford's growing season runs about 186 days, ranking 22,684 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MA, it ranks 154 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in New Bedford can differ from the 02571 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and New Bedford's frost date answer different questions.