Just how bad is the weather? (Boston, New Bedford: college, allergy, living in)

[BK4FL]

I read on here over and over agian that the weather is jsut so awful.. is it really that horrific? your opinion please

[mhz123]

Summers are hot and humid, winters are cold and damp, sometimes lots of snow can be a real pain. Pollen in the air during allergy seasons kills some people (including me).

If your used to that, there's nothing to worry about. No hurricanes, no wildfires. You won't be really comfortable in the summer but at least you don't have to worry about losing your house.

If you come from the year long warm weather area, prepare to increase the size of your wardrobe!

[BK4FL]

Born and raised in florida, now live in north alabama.. so hot and humid no problem..moving to alabama increased it by alot.. i suppose it can only go up from there.

[twiggy]

I wonder this too. I can't imagine feeling hot there but maybe after I acclimated. I can imagine freezing to death at night in the summer. lol I would be frozen for a long time. This is my only concern moving there. The stories on here are making me consider NC or some place a little warmer. Although it seems all the other yucky stuff follows the warm weather. I have always loved New England but with the beauty and less murder comes the cold and more wanting to kill yourself. lol It's always a trade off isn't it.

[BK4FL]

well Im in tuscaloosa right now and its the same temp as boston... 30's wooo

[ChunkyMonkey]

Weather is all relative to where you are from. Boston has generally warmer winters and cooler summers than the Midwest but colder and snowier than most big cities along the northeast. Compared to Northern Europe where I am right now, it is downright balmy.

[skytrekker]

Boston has a 'modified humid continental climate'. Which is, a climate with four distinct seasons. 'Modified' means it is ameliorated in both summer and winter by the Atlantic Ocean;less heat in the summer and less cold in the winter, compared to locations further inland.

Boston as well as most of southern New England's climate is considered 'mild' for its northern location simply because of the moderating influence of the Atlantic to the east and south.

As one ventures further north and west and further inland winters can be colder and snowier. Vermont, upstate New Hampshire, parts of North Western Mass and Maine away from the coast have colder winters. New England in general however has winters 3-5 degrees warmer then 30 years ago.

Boston is warm, to sometimes hot summers, with periods of high humidity. This lasts from late June to about mid to late August. The period from late summer to late autumn (late August to late November- is the longest 'season' and most pleasant weather in the region; warm to mild. Winter sets in around Christmas, and hangs around till mid to late March.

Temps in Boston itself seldom fall below zero. Spring is delayed by the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic. Weather can be highly changeable in the spring, from chilly foggy to warm and sunny. Spring arrives late (and is the shortest season) areas to the west of Boston have warmer springs and hotter summers. The south shore, New Bedford & Fall River- to Cape Cod has a mild maritime climate.

[HowGoesIt]

Boston has the best weather 9 months out of the year. The springs can be a little rainy, the summers are absolutely fantastic, and the fall is brisk and nice. The winters can be pretty brutal. Three winters ago we had over 100 inches of snow, but the past 2 winters have been a breeze.

[LeavingMA]

It is difficult to get acclimated to the weather in MA because it is always changing. By the time you get used to the heat, it gets cool, and vice versa. I personally think the cold weather lasts way too long.

The last few falls have been quite nice, but after about mid November to May the weather has been cold and rainy. Even June hasn't really felt like summer and been unpredictable. I find usually by January or February everyone is sick of winter already.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

Boston has a 'modified humid continental climate'. Which is, a climate with four distinct seasons. 'Modified' means it is ameliorated in both summer and winter by the Atlantic Ocean;less heat in the summer and less cold in the winter, compared to locations further inland.

Boston as well as most of southern New England's climate is considered 'mild' for its northern location simply because of the moderating influence of the Atlantic to the east and south.

As one ventures further north and west and further inland winters can be colder and snowier. Vermont, upstate New Hampshire, parts of North Western Mass and Maine away from the coast have colder winters. New England in general however has winters 3-5 degrees warmer then 30 years ago.

Boston is warm, to sometimes hot summers, with periods of high humidity. This lasts from late June to about mid to late August. The period from late summer to late autumn (late August to late November- is the longest 'season' and most pleasant weather in the region; warm to mild. Winter sets in around Christmas, and hangs around till mid to late March.

Temps in Boston itself seldom fall below zero. Spring is delayed by the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic. Weather can be highly changeable in the spring, from chilly foggy to warm and sunny. Spring arrives late (and is the shortest season) areas to the west of Boston have warmer springs and hotter summers. The south shore, New Bedford & Fall River- to Cape Cod has a mild maritime climate.

I think the thing this summary misses is that Boston is a lot of microclimates. What you list here describes Boston proper very well but go 10-15 miles away from Boston (into the 'burbs) and you are dealing with some significant differences. As a college student living in the city, I could do without a/c in the summer. Living 15 miles outside Boston in metrowest, we had to put central a/c in!

Winters in metrowest can easily dip below zero--if not ambient temp, then frequently via windchill.

Conversely, I think the heat and humidity are worse in summer. No cooling ocean breeze that often comes up in the afternoon closer to the water. So you can have a dewpoint in the high 60's, low 70's and an ambient temp 5-10 degrees warmer than Boston.