Photo: D-Day · CC BY-SA 3.0Boston gets about 168 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 36 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 94% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
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
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Boston’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Boston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Colden 1w, NY, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Boston’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 168 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colden 1w, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 196 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Boston
95% 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 Colden 1w, NY.
Living with Boston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Boston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Boston and its neighbors
Eden the hottest July afternoons (81°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Boston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, NY | 15° | 79° | 45" | 168" |
| Jericho, VT | 9° | 79° | 43" | 139" |
| Mayfield Heights, OH | 19° | 82° | 43" | 114" |
| Truckee, CA | 19° | 82° | 35" | 183" |
| Petoskey, MI | 16° | 76° | 35" | 124" |
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 Boston averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Boston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Boston’s place among New York’s.
Boston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Boston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colden 1w, NY. 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" | 0.0" | 14 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 79° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 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 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Boston’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 Boston’s center.
- Snow: Colden 1w, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Colden 1w, NY, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher; 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 Boston’s climate
What is the weather like in Boston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 168 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Boston in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Boston get?
About 168 inches in a normal winter at Colden 1w, NY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Boston?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Colden 1w, NY.
When is the first and last frost in Boston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 166 frost-free days, at Colden 1w, NY.
What growing zone is Boston in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Boston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Boston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Boston.
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.