Boston Marathon Forecast: No Weather Worries, But That Hasn't Always Happened Before

The 129th Boston Marathon on Monday will likely go off without a weather hitch, but that hasn't always happened, including in recent years.

Monday's Forecast

All in all, race day weather in Boston looks delightful for mid-April with plenty of sunshine, at least somewhat warmer-than-average temperatures and light winds. Winds may increase slightly as temperatures warm.

Notable Past Race Weather

• Last year's Boston Marathon was also blessed with perfect weather conditions for the almost 30,000 runners.
• 2018's marathon was the definition of weather misery. Over an inch and a half of rain fell, with temperatures hovering in the 40s during the race. Similar conditions occurred in 2015 and 2007, according to the Boston Athletic Association.
• Just over a third of marathons have been run with at least .01 inches of rain, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center, adding races to their dataset since 2017.
• Hottest most recent race: On April 19, 2004, highs in the low-mid 80s "caused a record number of heat-related illnesses", according to the BAA. It was even hotter in 1976, when Boston's Logan Airport rocketed to 94 degrees, still their all-time April record high.
• Snow: The BAA listed five different races during which at least some snowflakes fell. That last occurred in 1967 and 1961 when "snow squalls" were reported.

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.