Boston Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Boston has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Boston usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the city normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Boston can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are averages, based on climate data gathered from 1981 to 2010 at Boston's Logan International Airport on the shore of Boston Harbor.
How Often It Snows in Boston
This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.7 | January | 12.9 | 32.8 |
| 5.3 | February | 10.9 | 27.7 |
| 4.2 | March | 7.8 | 19.8 |
| 0.7 | April | 1.9 | 4.8 |
| 0.8 | November | 1.3 | 3.3 |
| 4.6 | December | 9.0 | 22.9 |
| 22.4 | Year | 43.8 | 111.3 |
These averages don't show how much Boston's snowfall varies from year to year.
In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 11.5 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 3.5 inches for the month.
Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 16.8 inches, while the lightest years get less than 4.9 inches.
Snow in February ranges from over 15.4 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 4.1 inches in light years.
When Boston Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
Over the long-term Boston has averaged an inch or two of snow during November and April.
But in most years those months have no snow. Just one-quarter of years get an inch or more of snow in April and three or more inches in November.
Boston's first snowfall of winter usually arrives in December. The season's last snowfall typically happens in March.
Boston is normally free of snow every year from May to October.
How Many Snowstorms Boston Gets
Most days of snowfall in Boston result in just a skiff of less than an inch left on the ground. On an average of 11 days a year, at least an inch of snow lands in one day.
Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur a couple times a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events.
| 1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 | 1.5 | January | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| 2.4 | 1.1 | February | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| 2.2 | 0.9 | March | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| 0.3 | 0.1 | April | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 0.4 | 0.2 | November | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2.0 | 0.9 | December | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| 10.9 | 4.7 | Year | 2.7 | 0.5 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Boston
For about one-quarter to one-third of winter days, Boston has at least an inch of snow on the ground. Snow mostly accumulates during January.
Typically, for a couple of days in January, the snow covering Boston gets to ten or more inches deep.
| 1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.9 | 7.3 | January | 4.8 | 2.0 |
| 9.4 | 5.9 | February | 3.2 | 0.8 |
| 5.6 | 3.2 | March | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| 0.3 | 0.2 | April | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 0.9 | 0.4 | November | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| 4.5 | 2.4 | December | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| 31.6 | 19.4 | Year | 11.6 | 4.0 |
Reference
National Climatic Data Center. NOAA's 1981-2010 Climate Normals.