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Boston vs New York: Weather & Climate Compared

🇺🇸 Boston, United States · 🇺🇸 New York, United States
Warmer overall
New York
Sunnier
New York
More rainy days
New York

The short answer

Across the year, New York is the warmer of the two: its annual average of 54°F (12°C) beats Boston's 51°F (11°C) by roughly 2.9°F (1.6°C).

Head to head

  • Sunshine: New York is brighter, averaging 8.6 hours of sun a day to Boston's 8.5.
  • Rain: the rain gauge favors Boston: 127 wet days a year to New York's 128.
  • Snow: Boston is the snowy one, averaging about 16 snow days a year.
  • Peak heat: Boston tops out in July (83°F (28°C) highs); New York peaks in July (85°F (30°C)).
  • Coldest nights: winter bottoms out at 23°F (-5°C) in Boston (January) and 26°F (-3°C) in New York (January).

Boston vs New York month by month

Average highs and lows plus rainy days, from 2015–2024 weather data.
MonthBoston high / low New York high / low Boston rain daysNew York rain days
January 37° / 23° 40° / 26° 10 10
February 40° / 22° 43° / 26° 10 10
March 46° / 29° 49° / 33° 12 10
April 56° / 39° 60° / 42° 12 12
May 67° / 49° 70° / 53° 11 12
June 77° / 59° 79° / 62° 11 11
July 83° / 66° 85° / 69° 12 13
August 82° / 65° 83° / 68° 11 12
September 74° / 59° 77° / 62° 9 10
October 63° / 48° 66° / 51° 10 9
November 51° / 36° 54° / 39° 8 9
December 42° / 28° 45° / 32° 11 11

Who's warmer, month by month?

New York is warmer in every single month - the question is never which city is milder, only by how much. The gap is widest in April, when New York's afternoons run about 4°F (2°C) ahead, and narrowest in August, when the two nearly meet.

Sunshine, daylight and rain chance

Daily sunshine hours, daylight on the 15th of each month, and the chance that a given day is wet.
Month Boston sunNew York sun Boston daylightNew York daylight Boston wet-day chanceNew York wet-day chance
January 6.0 h6.1 h 9.4 h9.6 h 34%32%
February 6.7 h6.9 h 10.5 h10.6 h 37%34%
March 7.9 h8.2 h 11.8 h11.8 h 39%33%
April 8.4 h8.8 h 13.3 h13.2 h 39%40%
May 10.2 h9.9 h 14.6 h14.4 h 35%37%
June 11.2 h11.1 h 15.3 h15.1 h 37%35%
July 11.4 h11.6 h 15.0 h14.8 h 39%43%
August 10.9 h10.9 h 13.9 h13.8 h 34%40%
September 8.9 h9.1 h 12.4 h12.4 h 30%32%
October 7.5 h7.8 h 11.0 h11.0 h 31%29%
November 6.6 h7.1 h 9.7 h9.8 h 28%29%
December 5.7 h5.6 h 9.1 h9.3 h 34%35%

Seasons compared

Three-month averages. Months are named rather than seasons because the southern hemisphere has its summer in December - February.
MonthsBoston high / lowNew York high / low Boston rain daysNew York rain days Boston sunNew York sun
December - February 40° / 24° 42° / 28° 3130 6.1 h6.2 h
March - May 56° / 39° 60° / 43° 3534 8.8 h9.0 h
June - August 81° / 64° 82° / 67° 3436 11.2 h11.2 h
September - November 63° / 48° 66° / 51° 2727 7.7 h8.0 h

Best months for sightseeing

Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:

  • Boston: May, June, August, September (4 months)
  • New York: May, June, September, October (4 months)

Both cities are at their most comfortable in May, June, September, the easiest window for a trip that takes in both.

Records, distance and time difference

  • Boston records (2015-2024): high of 101° in July, low of -16° in February.
  • New York records (2015-2024): high of 100° in August, low of -5° in January.
  • Distance: Boston and New York are about 190 miles (306 km) apart as the crow flies.
  • Time difference: the two cities share the same local time right now.

Boston vs New York: quick answers

Is Boston warmer than New York?
On the annual mean, New York is the warmer city by roughly 2.9°F (1.6°C), though the margin shifts with the seasons.
Which city is sunnier, Boston or New York?
New York takes it: 8.6 sun hours a day averaged across the year, versus 8.5 for Boston.
Which city gets more rain?
New York - roughly 128 days with measurable precipitation a year, compared with 127 in Boston.
Dig deeper
Boston climate guide New York climate guide United States weather All city comparisons
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