Boston has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Boston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Boston’s climate
Read from where Boston sits among Kentucky’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
3 inches of snow, 50 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Boston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 25.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Boston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
189 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 18 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 25.
About 3" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 76% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 37 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 88°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Boston averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 71% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Boston compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kentucky.
Boston weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 26° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 27° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 28° | 3.8" | 1.3" | 6 | 27° – 47° |
| March | 58° | 36° | 4.7" | 0.2" | 8 | 40° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 4.8" | 0 | 8 | 51° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.4" | 0 | 9 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 4.8" | 0 | 8 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.6" | 0 | 7 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.5" | 0 | 5 | 72° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.5" | 0 | 5 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 3.7" | 0 | 5 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 3.5" | 0 | 7 | 40° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 4.3" | 1.1" | 8 | 27° – 49° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 50.0" | 2.7" | 85 |
Heating and cooling a home in Boston
76% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Boston’s climate
What is the coldest month in Boston?
January, with a typical high of 44° and a low of 26°.
What is the hottest month in Boston?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Boston get?
About 3 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Boston?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 25, and the last spring frost by April 18.
What is the rainiest month in Boston?
May, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 50 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Boston.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Boston itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Boston 6 Sw, KY (4 mi, snow) and Bernheim Forest, KY (9 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.