Fort Phoenix · Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · CC0Precipitation in Fairhaven tops that of 83% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 23°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 82% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.0° higher. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to October brings highs of 63–82°.
A year in Fairhaven at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fairhaven’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fairhaven’s place in Massachusetts beside it.
What a year in Fairhaven feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Bedford Coop, MA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fairhaven’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New Bedford Coop, MA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fairhaven
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at New Bedford Coop, MA.
Living with Fairhaven’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fairhaven from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fairhaven and its neighbors
Acushnet has the coldest January nights next door (22°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fairhaven’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairhaven, MA | 23° | 82° | 50" | 33" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
| North Castle, NY | 21° | 84° | 49" | 34" |
| Kinnelon, NJ | 19° | 83° | 49" | 28" |
| Shamokin, PA | 19° | 82° | 46" | 34" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fairhaven averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Fairhaven compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fairhaven’s place among Massachusetts’.
Fairhaven weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fairhaven’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New Bedford Coop, MA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 23° | 4.0" | 10.9" | 11 | 22° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 24° | 3.6" | 8.5" | 11 | 20° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 30° | 5.3" | 6.6" | 12 | 32° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 39° | 4.4" | 1.7" | 12 | 44° – 52° |
| May | 66° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 64° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 46° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 37° | 4.4" | 0.4" | 10 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 29° | 4.9" | 4.4" | 12 | 30° – 47° |
| Year | 60° | 43° | 49.5" | 32.5" | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fairhaven’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Fairhaven’s center.
- Snow: New Bedford Coop, MA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Bedford Coop, MA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Fairhaven’s climate
What is the weather like in Fairhaven?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fairhaven in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Fairhaven get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at New Bedford Coop, MA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Fairhaven?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 64°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (New Bedford Coop, MA).
When is the first and last frost in Fairhaven?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 208 frost-free days, at New Bedford Coop, MA.
What growing zone is Fairhaven in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fairhaven?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fairhaven getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fairhaven.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.