New Bedford, MA 02719 Frost Dates
When can you plant in New Bedford, MA?
Around 04/11 is the usual last spring frost, about 226 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/05, about 208 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 10 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.
Why 04/11 isn't a guarantee
04/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/30 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How New Bedford compares
About 208 days separate New Bedford's last and first frost, putting it 15,506 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MA, it ranks 51 of 712.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and New Bedford's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around New Bedford's dates instead of trusting one.