The disparity between water supply and demand of Ningbo City is pronounced, underscoring the significance of investigating the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of surface water resources. This study categorizes Ningbo into three distinct zones and establishes a comprehensive analytical framework to examine the trends, periodicities, and abrupt changes in surface water resources over three temporal scales: annual, flood season, and non-flood season. The analysis is grounded in an extensive dataset spanning from 1956 to 2022. Furthermore, this study elucidates the spatial encounter patterns of surface water resources. The key findings are as follows: (1) A notable upward trend in surface water resources is evident in the city and its constituent zones during the dry season, whereas the trend during the flood season is less pronounced. (2) An 18-year cycle is identified in the surface water resources across all zones, irrespective of the temporal scale. (3) The point of abrupt change marking the significant upward trend in non-flood season water resources is situated around 1992 for the city and its zones. (4) The probability of synchronous abundance and scarcity of surface water resources among different zones is consistently higher than asynchronous conditions, with an average synchronous probability of 67%. Within individual zones, the probability of synchronous abundance and scarcity exceeds 80%. These insights are poised to contribute to the wise allocation of water resources and the optimal dispatch of reservoir clusters in Ningbo City.