Season guide · Boston · United States
Boston in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Amoran002, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold and often snowy, with nor'easter storms that can disrupt travel, but festive lights, ice skating and the lowest hotel rates. Expect highs up to 6°C (43°F) and lows around -5°C (23°F), with about 32 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -5°C (23°F) to 6°C (43°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 32
- Sea
- 4°C (39°F) to 7°C (45°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C (37°F) | -5°C (23°F) | 11 | 9.4 h | 1/5 |
| February | 4°C (39°F) | -4°C (25°F) | 10 | 10.5 h | 1/5 |
| December | 6°C (43°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 11 | 9.1 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 4°C (39°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 32 of the year's roughly 123 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown (January or February)
- February: Beanpot college ice-hockey tournament (usually the first two Mondays of February)
- December: Boston Common Christmas tree lighting — the tree is a yearly gift from Nova Scotia (usually early December)
- December: Boston Tea Party reenactment (around 16 December)
- December: First Night Boston on New Year's Eve (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Gallery · Seaport District
Institute of Contemporary Art
Find the Mediatheque, a stepped room whose single window frames nothing but the water below.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Views
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Dorchester
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
I.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
Experience · Back Bay
Mapparium
Combine it with a walk around the long reflecting pool of Christian Science Plaza outside.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
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Museum · Fenway–Kenmore
Museum of Fine Arts
One of the largest art museums in the US, the MFA's Art of the Americas wing holds John Singleton Copley's portraits, Paul Revere's silver Sons of Liberty Bowl and John Singer Sargent's The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Fenway–Kenmore
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Anyone named Isabella gets in free, as does everyone on their birthday.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Couples
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Day trips in winter
- Plymouth (About 1 hour by car) — Where the Mayflower Pilgrims settled in 1620.
- Newport, Rhode Island (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — The Gilded Age summer resort of America's richest families, with mansions such as The Breakers open for tours, the 5.6-km Cliff Walk between the mansions and the ocean, and a sailing harbour full of seafood restaurants.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Boston?
It is a trade-off: Cold and often snowy, with nor'easter storms that can disrupt travel, but festive lights, ice skating and the lowest hotel rates. The best months overall are May–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Boston in winter?
Highs of up to 6°C (43°F) and lows around -5°C (23°F), with about 32 rainy days over the season.