Boston, NY climate
Boston has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 168 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Boston feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
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 | 31° | 15° | 3.6" | 50.5" | 23 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 2.5" | 37.2" | 20 | 8° – 33° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 3.0" | 18.6" | 16 | 24° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 34° | 3.7" | 8.2" | 16 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 14 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 4.0" | 0 | 14 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 4.4" | 0 | 13 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.8" | 0 | 13 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 4.2" | 0 | 13 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.4" | 17 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 3.9" | 14.0" | 16 | 33° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 4.0" | 38.6" | 22 | 19° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 37° | 45.0" | 167.6" | 196 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Boston
Boston gets 45 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 196 days a year.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 156 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 75% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Boston
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Boston, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Boston and its neighbors
Boston borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.6°. Colden has the coldest January nights (15°) and Eden the hottest July afternoons (81°). Boston’s January low is 15° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Boston compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Boston averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 63% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Boston’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 8° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Boston’s climate
What is the coldest month in Boston?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Boston?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 59°. About 1 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Boston get?
About 168 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Boston?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 11, and the last spring frost by May 7.
What is the rainiest month in Boston?
October, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 45 inches.
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 Colden 1w, NY (2 mi, snow) and Colden 1 N, NY (4 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.