Honestly, if you've lived in New England for more than a week, you know the drill. You look at the 7 day forecast for boston ma on a Monday, plan your life around a blizzard, and by Wednesday you’re wearing a light fleece and wondering where the "Snowpocalypse" went.
The next week is looking like a classic Boston rollercoaster.
We’re currently sitting in a weird pocket of January. Today, January 15, 2026, started out surprisingly mild with temperatures hitting 50°F at Logan Airport earlier this afternoon. But don't get too comfortable. That SW wind at 14 mph is basically the atmosphere's way of saying "enjoy it while it lasts" before the floor drops out.
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The Deep Freeze is Moving In
By tomorrow morning, the vibe shifts. Hard.
We’re looking at a high of only 30°F for Friday, January 16. That’s a massive 20-degree swing in less than 24 hours. If you’re heading into the office or grabbing coffee in the Seaport, you’ll feel that bite. Overnight lows are expected to dip to around 19°F, which is plenty cold to freeze any slush left over from earlier in the week.
Here’s the breakdown for the weekend:
- Saturday, Jan 17: We start seeing some moisture. Expect a high of 34°F with clouds moving in thick by the afternoon. There’s a messy mix in the cards—snow changing over to rain as we hit a low of 22°F.
- Sunday, Jan 18: This is the day to watch. Overcast skies with light snow likely late in the day. Highs will hover near 39°F, and we’re expecting about 0.32 inches of liquid equivalent. It’s that heavy, wet New England "heart attack" snow.
Why the Mid-Week Forecast Looks Brutal
If you thought the weekend was annoying, Tuesday is when things get legitimately "Boston cold." We’re talking a high of 25°F and a low of 17°F.
Wait. It gets better. Or worse, depending on your tolerance for shivering.
By Wednesday, January 21, the mercury struggles to even hit 26°F, and the overnight low is projected at a bone-chilling 14°F. This aligns with what the Farmers’ Almanac and local National Weather Service (NWS) offices have been whispering about for weeks: a mid-January cold snap fueled by a weak La Niña and a wobbly polar vortex.
Beyond the 7-Day Window
Looking toward the end of next week, specifically Thursday the 22nd, we might see a slight recovery back to 38°F. But the pattern is clear. We are in the thick of the "coldest period" predicted by long-range models.
Most people get the Boston forecast wrong because they focus on the "snow" icon and ignore the wind chill. When the wind kicks up to 15-20 mph off the harbor, a 30-degree day feels like 15. Your layers matter more than the raw numbers on your phone screen.
Survival Steps for the Week Ahead
- Check your heating oil now. With lows hitting the teens by mid-week, your furnace is going to be working overtime. Don't wait until Tuesday night to realize you're on a quarter tank.
- Salt the walkways Saturday night. Since we’re expecting snow changing to rain and then a hard freeze, Sunday morning will be a skating rink if you don't prep.
- Drain the outdoor hoses. If you haven't done it yet (how?), do it before Monday. Those 14-degree lows will find any water left in your pipes and cause a headache you don't want.
- Layer with wool, not just cotton. It sounds like a "dad" tip, but with humidity hovering around 57% and those temperature drops, moisture-wicking layers are the only way to stay warm during that Tuesday commute.
The "7 day forecast for boston ma" isn't just a list of numbers; it's a schedule for when you need to be tough and when you can actually take the dog for a walk without losing a finger to frostbite. Stay warm out there.