Those in Boston can best be described as living in a transitional climate zone. Typically, summers are hot and humid, and winters are cold and stormy, with periods of heavy snow. It is normally cool to mild in spring and fall, depending on the direction of the wind and the jet stream’s position. Offshore winds minimize the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. While warm air is drawn off the Atlantic from time to time, areas near the immediate coast often see more rain than snow in winter. Snowfall is most common from mid-November to early April, while it is rare between May and October.
In addition, snowfall varies greatly from one year to the next. For example, 2011-2012 saw only 9.3 in (23.6 cm) of accumulating snow, but the previous winter had 81.0 in (2.06 m). In the 2014–15 winter season, Boston broke its all-time seasonal snowfall record of 107.6 inches (2.73 m) from 1995–96, with 108.6 inches (2.76 m) by March 15, 2015.
Below are some stunning historical photos documenting life in Boston during the snow from the 1900s to the 1930s.