Cambridge, MA Climate

Cambridge, MA has a humid continental climate, with mild to warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The city experiences four distinct seasons, with average highs in the summer months hovering around 80°F (27°C) and winter temperatures dropping to an average of 28°F (-2°C). Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, though snowfall is heaviest in January and February. Cambridge is known for its frequent strong winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean.

Cambridge, Massachusetts gets 48 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Cambridge averages 50 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 201 sunny days per year in Cambridge. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Cambridge gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 133 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 82 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 19
Rain: averages 48 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 50 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Cambridge is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

9.2 Summer - 4.8 Winter

August, June and September are the most pleasant months in Cambridge, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Cambridge, Massachusetts	United States
	48.0 in.	38.1 in.
	50.0 in.	27.8 in.
	132.6 days	106.2 days
	201 days	205 days
	82.3°	85.8°
	19.2°	21.7°
	6.9	7
	3.5	4.3
	16 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Cambridge with an average high temperature of 82.3°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Massachusetts. In Cambridge, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Cambridge are June, August and July.

In Cambridge, there are 10.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Massachusetts.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Cambridge with an average of 19.2°. This is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

In Cambridge, there are 115.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Massachusetts.

In Cambridge, there are 1.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

The humidity is usually comfortable in Cambridge but some summer months can be sticky or muggy. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months are July, August and June.

March is the wettest month in Cambridge with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 3.5 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 26% of yearly precipitation and 24% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 48.0 inches in Cambridge means that it is about average compared to other places in Massachusetts.

May is the rainiest month in Cambridge with 12.7 days of rain, and September is the driest month with only 9.0 rainy days. There are 132.6 rainy days annually in Cambridge, which is one of the rainiest places in Massachusetts. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 23% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 50.0 inches in Cambridge means that it is snowier than most places in Massachusetts. January is the snowiest month in Cambridge with 14.8 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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David · Cambridge, MA

Lots of changes

Over 9 years ago

Cambridge is a great place to live. It is rather expensive, but has great access to Boston, schools and hospitals. There is a lot of construction underway that can be More

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Herman · Cambridge, MA

Tap water quality ranking in USA

Over 12 years ago

Need info on test results on tap or drinking water quality, 02139 Green St area. More

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Jean · Marlborough, MA

Cambridge is Education Hub

Over 12 years ago

Home to both Harvard and MIT, Cambridge is the cornerstone of higher education. Residents are very intelligent and open to new ideas. More

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