New Bedford climate
New Bedford (Massachusetts, United States) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C52 °F, and about 1,155 mm45 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
New Bedford climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 338 | −229 | 133 | 903.5 | 18 |
| Feb | 338 | −229 | 133 | 853.3 | 17 |
| Mar | 541 | 133 | 337 | 1094.3 | 11 |
| Apr | 949 | 541 | 745 | 1034.0 | 1 |
| May | 1458 | 1050 | 1254 | 873.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 1967 | 1559 | 1763 | 913.6 | 0 |
| Jul | 2475 | 2067 | 2271 | 793.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 2475 | 2068 | 2271 | 783.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 2170 | 1763 | 1966 | 963.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 1661 | 1253 | 1457 | 1184.7 | 0 |
| Nov | 1152 | 644 | 948 | 1054.1 | 2 |
| Dec | 744 | 235 | 439 | 1154.5 | 9 |
| Year | 2475 | −229 | 1152 | 1,15545 | 58 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 69% | 1.8 | 9:28 |
| Feb | 81% | 64% | 2.7 | 10:32 |
| Mar | 81% | 61% | 3.7 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 83% | 59% | 4.9 | 13:17 |
| May | 85% | 62% | 5.5 | 14:31 |
| Jun | 84% | 59% | 5.9 | 15:11 |
| Jul | 82% | 55% | 6.0 | 14:54 |
| Aug | 81% | 51% | 5.4 | 13:50 |
| Sep | 80% | 50% | 4.4 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 79% | 58% | 3.0 | 10:00 |
| Nov | 80% | 63% | 2.0 | 9:46 |
| Dec | 81% | 68% | 1.5 | 9:10 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of New Bedford is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 3 °C38 °F and lows −2 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.2 °C38.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,155 mm45 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is October (118 mm4.7 in), the driest is August (78 mm3.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 79% in October to 85% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 50%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 15 km/h (9 mph) in August to 22 km/h (14 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.2 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in January and February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 14 cm).
Best time to visit New Bedford
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are July–September: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 78 mm3.1 in to 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 3 °C38 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for New Bedford
- Winter (December–February) — highs 338 to 7 °C44 °F, lows −229 to 2 °C35 °F, about 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, shoes with good grip, as frost is common and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 541 to 14 °C58 °F, lows 133 to 10 °C50 °F, about 100 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1967 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1559 to 20 °C68 °F, about 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1152 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 644 to 17 °C63 °F, about 106 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How New Bedford compares
Compared with Providence, about 45 km to the northwest, New Bedford is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in January (3 °C5.4 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, New Bedford is the 179th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 79th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Aomori (Japan, Dfa), Ōsaki (Japan, Cfa) and Hachinohe (Japan, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Providence 45 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,208 mm48 in
- Boston 81 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Worcester 101 km · 9 °C48 °F · 1,183 mm47 in
- Hartford 147 km · 10 °C51 °F · 1,201 mm47 in
- Springfield 147 km · 10 °C51 °F · 1,201 mm47 in
- Manchester 157 km · 9 °C48 °F · 1,181 mm46 in
- New Haven 171 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,208 mm48 in
- Waterbury 177 km · 10 °C51 °F · 1,208 mm48 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in New Bedford?
August is the warmest month in New Bedford, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in New Bedford?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 3 °C (38 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in New Bedford?
October is the wettest month with about 118 mm (4.7 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 78 mm (3.1 in).
What is the best time to visit New Bedford?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are July–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.