Pool season · Massachusetts
New Bedford Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 15, 2026 · dates · water temp
This is the one-page view of New Bedford's pool year: both model windows, the estimated water-temperature curve, and today's live position on the season bar. The detailed checklists live on the opening and closing guides; this page is the calendar you check between them.
Each dot on the bar is one week of New Bedford's typical year, colored by what the model says that week is for: gray weeks are off-season, hollow teal marks the opening window (May 11–June 1), solid teal is swim season, and hollow amber is the closing window ending October 2. The black marker is today — its position against the colors is the entire executive summary.
The New Bedford pool calendar
Opening — target May 18
Target May 18; the practical window runs May 11–June 1, and the 7-day mean crosses the 61°F threshold around June 1. Cold-water starts are the cheap ones.
Closing — deadline October 2
Hold the cover until September 22, then winterize by October 2, a week ahead of the October 15 freeze normal. Late and cold beats early and warm.
Estimated water temperature by month
Monthly averages of the site's water model run on New Bedford's own normals — the shape of a typical year, not a forecast. The widget above shows where the current year actually sits.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32° | 30° | 35° | 43° | 52° | 62° | 70° | 72° | 67° | 58° | 48° | 39° |
The curve peaks near 72°F — comfortable-water months here usually involve a heater or a solar cover.
Email me when New Bedford hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via New Bedford Municipal Airport (0.9 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.