Boston, MA
What happened to winter? Boston continues to trend less snowy and cold
BOSTON – Winter, we hardly knew ye. Again.
Thursday brings a close to climatological winter, which runs Dec. 1 through the end of February. And even though we got an extra day of it this time around thanks to a leap year, we didn’t pay the price. In fact, you could make the case that this has been the easiest pair of back-to-back winters in Boston’s recorded history.
Good for your salt and plowing budgets? Absolutely. Heating bills? Certainly helped. But it is all part of an overall trend that, rough winter or two aside, has led to much more tame cold seasons. Winter is the fastest warming season of all in New England, with December and February being the two most rapidly changing months of the year. This year was no exception, and here are all the numbers to prove it.
Warming winters in Boston
Let’s start with the cold, or lack thereof. In that regard, winter was essentially that one week in January coming off of MLK Day. During that week Boston had five subfreezing days, which turned out to be the only subfreezing days for the entire season. It was the first time on record there weren’t any at all during the month of February, and frankly not even close (the lowest high was 35 degrees).
The coldest temperature reached all season in Boston was 14 degrees. Which, while not Palm Beach, is not exactly punishing extreme weather. Every other year on record, dating to at least 1872, had a night colder than 14 degrees. And at Blue Hill Observatory, this was the first winter on record without a single night in the single digits.
This translated to a fairly startling lack of ice, which any ice fishing enthusiast can corroborate. The only comp for the lack of ice seen is the winter of 2001-02. That year, Lake Winnipesaukee never had ice-in. This year, the lake only had one brief day of thin ice-in before starting to clear back out. Many ponds around Boston never froze over, nor did Lake Champlain in Vermont where an annual hockey tournament was canceled, or Lake George in upstate New York.
Overall, it wasn’t the top warmest winter by average temperature in Boston. It came in at seventh place. But seven of the eight warmest winters have all occurred since 2001. It just isn’t what it used to be. And while Boston wasn’t in the top position, several locations of northern New England did see their warmest on record. The Lower 48 as a whole also had their warmest winter on record.
Where’s the snow been?
How about the snowfall side of the story? Well, I’m still working on the same bag of salt I got at the beginning of *last* winter, if that’s any indication. The biggest storm of the season was one that generally only impacted towns northwest of Boston back in early January. It did produce 12-18″ of snow in the jackpot zones, but only a few inches in Boston and even less south of the city.
We of course know it can still snow in March and April (and sometimes May) so the books won’t close on the season for a while yet. But if Boston fails to receive nearly 11″ of snow from mid-March onward, then it will be the first time on record the city has had back-to-back winters with less than 20″ (last season had 12.4″).
The whole recent run of winters has been very paltry in the snow department. Over the past five seasons Boston’s average is 26.1″, which is the lowest for any five-year stretch on record. It’s been over two years now since the city had a 4″ or greater snowfall, also a record.
The wildest stat of all to me is that we’ve only averaged three 2″+ snowfalls a season over the past five years. Just three days a winter that we’ve had to think about plowing or shoveling.
Is winter doomed?
Does snowfall come in cycles? Certainly. There are decadal periods of boom or bust, and we were just coming out of an epic boom in the 2010s. Reversion back to the mean was inevitable and I’m not surprised at all that we’ve had a weak stretch. The 1980s were famously snowless, so it does happen. That said, the 1980s also had a lot of very cold winters. That part of the equation is walking out of the building as the climate continues to warm. Recently it’s just been mild *and* with minimal snow instead.
The wild, off the charts winter of 2014-15 was like one big going away party for extreme cold and snow. It was the last time Boston had a colder than average winter, nearly a decade ago. The last time Boston’s average winter temperature was under 32 degrees, something that used to happen 60% of the time but now hasn’t happened in the nine years since.
Do I think winter is doomed? No, we’ll still have big snowstorms and colder winters in the mix. But the general temperature trendline will continue to go up, which continues to affect how long snow sticks around for, how much ice we have to play on, and what plants and animals move in and out over time.
Boston, MA
What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe
Court records show that Marrero was the father of three children, the oldest of whom is 17. The youngest two children, twins, are 13 years old; Marrero’s death came days before their 14th birthday.
Records in Middlesex Probate and Family Court also suggest that Marrero faced financial difficulties and personal troubles, stemming in part from a work injury that family members said caused a bout of depression and deteriorating behavior in his personal life.
For nearly a decade, Marrero worked at Dewberry, a Boston engineering consulting firm, court records show, obtaining a job as an architectural design apprentice in 2005. He left the company in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.
Throughout that time, he doubled as a bartender on the side, working at Mexican restaurants in Boston and Waltham, court records show.
A knee injury ended Marrero’s career at Dewberry, court records show, and he left the company shortly thereafter.
That injury, according to court documents, was the catalyst for what his wife described as a “major depressive episode,” which she said contributed to the strain in their marriage. The couple, who had been married for more than 20 years, separated in 2022.
Records also show that Marrero struggled with debts to family members and credit card companies. During his divorce proceedings, it was unclear how much money he was taking home in income.
Marrero briefly owned and operated a contracting business, 109 Construction, but the corporation was administratively dissolved in 2024, according to state filings.
Marrero had lived in US since at least 2001, holding legal status. He became a naturalized citizen in March 2021, court records show.
Social media posts suggest he was active in the tight-knit Venezuelan community in Massachusetts. Photos show him cheering on Venezuela at a World Baseball Classic watch party in Brighton earlier this year.
Court records appear to show Marrero’s interest in art and music, owning a Venezuelan guitar, conga drums, and several Venezuelan paintings, as well as homemade winemaking setup.
Marrero’s family could not be reached for comment. A close friend reached by the Globe declined to comment.
Trainor had just completed his shift at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and was driving home when he responded to a report for a Jeep traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1, near the Lynnfield overpass.
Raised in Salem, Trainor began his public safety career as an Essex County correction officer before graduating from the State Police academy in 2023, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said.
Trainor’s fiancée, Jessica D. Ostrowski, of Georgetown, posted an emotional message to social media Thursday, describing the late trooper as “my absolute best friend.”
“I am beyond proud for the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you,” she wrote.
Travis Andersen and Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from previous Globe coverage was used.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
Boston, MA
Funding scandal-hit Croft schools in Boston to close this summer after all
Administrators at the Croft School, struggling after allegations of financial fraud, haven’t been able to find a buyer for its Boston locations, which will now close at the end of the school year, parents were told Friday.
Millions of dollars were raised by families and community members to keep the private school open for a few more months while Croft School administrators scrambled to find a buyer. But in Friday’s email, the chief restructuring officer and independent sale advisor said that two parties expressed interest but they ultimately had to pivot toward winding operations down.
“To be clear, the 2025-2026 school year will be completed based on the availability of parent funding. However, without a viable timetable for a transaction, we are faced with this difficult decision,” the email said.
About 350 students had attended the Croft School’s three campuses, two in Boston and one in Providence. Regular tuition starts at $31,000, according to the website.
Millions were raised to keep the private school open for a few more months but the Croft School is looking for a buyer as a long-term fix to its financial problems.
More than 60 families unenrolled from the South End campus over the weekend, the email said.
News of the debt crisis surprised parents in March, when the school’s board revealed in a letter that founding Executive Director Scott Given admitted to fabricating a letter of credit regarding a possible expansion and keeping two sets of books, overstating the school’s revenue while understating its expenses.
The discovery that the school was more than $13 million in debt came after police were alerted to possible fraud. The school has said it’s cooperating with multiple investigations involving Given, who has been suspended.
The private school, with two locations in Boston and one in Providence, requires $5 million to stay open for the rest of the schoolyear.
Given has been sued by at least one Boston parent, accusing him of running a Ponzi scheme. His legal team has said he has no comment.
Parents rallied to save the school, raising enough funds to keep classes going.
The officials in charge of the sale noted “how hard many of you worked to maintain The Croft School as you know it,” but added that the “difficult circumstances, uncertain financials and condensed timeframe made this a trying environment for purchasers to timely make a binding offer for the schools.”
Boston, MA
Where to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 8
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.
We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Friday as the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Boston Red Sox.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox?
First pitch between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 8.
How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, May 8, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: TB at BOS
- Date: Friday, May 8
- Time: 7:10 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Fenway Park
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: NESN, Rays.TV and WMOR
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 8 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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