Boston - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Boston, Massachusetts. The lists include decades when Boston had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Boston's Logan International Airport and cover eight decades, from the 1940s to the 2010s.

That is when Boston had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Boston
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 60.3 2010s 15.7
Runner-up 59.6 1990s 15.3

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Boston
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 45.4 2010s 7.4
Runner-up 44.3 1990s 6.8

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Boston had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 131 2010s
Runner-up 126 1970s, 1940s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Boston had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 16 2010s
Runner-up 14 1990s, 1980s, 1970s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Boston had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 90 1990s
Runner-up 91 1950s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in Boston had:

  • 4 more days each year with temperatures of 90 °F and higher
  • 1.3 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.7 °C)
  • 1.6 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (0.9 °C)
  • 6 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
References

Current Results. 2020. Boston MA Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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