Massachusetts
Another mild winter for Massachusetts? NOAA maps show long-range seasonal forecast.
BOSTON – It may be September, but it’s time to talk about winter. And depending on how you feel about snow, there could be some good news for you in the long-range forecast for Massachusetts.
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, released its winter seasonal outlook on Thursday. The federal agency’s maps are probability based and cover the months of December, January and February.
The temperature forecast favors above-average temperatures across the southern tier of the United States and for the entire East Coast.
NOAA’s precipitation forecast looks wetter than average across most of the northern states and drier than average across the south.
La Niña impact on winter forecast
The vast majority of this forecast was based on one factor, La Niña .
We are already seeing signs of a La Niña in the waters off of South America.
La Niña is a cooling of these waters compared to average, the opposite of El Niño.
NOAA is predicting a 71% chance of La Niña emerging and continuing in the coming months, likely lasting right through the upcoming winter.
Most models are forecasting a relatively weak La Niña.
Looking at a typical La Niña winter across the United States, you can see why NOAA made their prediction.
This is just a general idea for the winter, of course there will always be day-to-day and week-to-week variability.
Despite the ocean being cooler than average in the La Niña region, it is otherwise still very warm overall. The ocean temperatures across the Pacific and Atlantic also play a major role in shaping the winter pattern.
Odds favor mild winter for New England
The WBZ Weather Team will make our official winter prediction in November. However, at this point, there’s no major reason or evidence to dispute the NOAA forecast.
We haven’t had a truly cold winter here since 2014-2015 and the snowfall amounts in recent years have been laughably low. Given the current state of our oceans and atmosphere, it will be exceedingly difficult to get a below average (temperatures) winter season.
Sure, there will be some periods of cold and some snow, but the early odds favor yet another mild winter for 2024-2025.
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Massachusetts
Three Elegant Harborside Venues with Timeless Coastal Charm
With two in Boston and one down the Cape, these coastal locations are beautiful backdrops in any season.
Five-Star Fabulous
Boston Harbor Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts
Awash in luxury, the venerable Boston Harbor Hotel is one of the city’s most coveted places to stay. The hotel’s sweeping harbor views are unrivaled, and the five-star hotel, rife with rich fabrics, marble, and carved-wood finishes, exudes a modern classic appeal. There are several on-site wedding venue options. Optimal for larger receptions as well as ceremonies, the Wharf Room features dramatic, high ceilings and views from three sides, along with a private outdoor terrace. The second-story Meritage Room is oriented toward smaller celebrations, and Foster’s Pavilion is the hotel’s outdoor space, which can be enhanced with an outdoor tent. The Atlantic Room is a larger space that can be broken down into two separate areas. The hotel’s wedding planning and catering staff are attentive and experienced; executive chef David Daniels’s cuisine features fresh, seasonal fare that elevates any occasion held at the hotel.
Among the best parts of hosting your wedding at the Boston Harbor Hotel is its elegant accommodations, which include more than 200 guest rooms and suites. The John Adams Presidential Suite is among the city’s most luxurious: featuring two-, three-, or four-bedroom configurations with a private elevator, spacious living areas, a media room, and an expansive waterfront terrace, you will never want to leave.
PHOTO OPS
Just outside the restaurant is Fan Pier Park, a verdant stretch of green space along the waterfront. The landscaped area features manicured grassy areas and beautiful harbor vistas with the city rising in the distance, which make a gorgeous backdrop for wedding photos.
Restaurant Chic
Davio’s
Boston, Massachusetts
Well-known and loved for its cuisine, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse is a longtime staple in Boston’s fine-dining restaurant scene. Its perfectly cooked steaks, handmade pastas, and fresh seafood have broad appeal. With multiple locations in and around the city—and in other states, too—Davio’s Seaport location offers elegant dining overlooking Boston Harbor.
With several private dining spaces of varying sizes, the restaurant is in a prime position for hosting weddings and rehearsal dinners. The private dining rooms feature high ceilings, majestic columns, elongated windows, and plenty of space. Flexible spaces can accommodate 10 to 200 guests for full-service sit-down dinners and up to 350 for a reception. Rooms are equipped with high-back upholstered chairs and round and square tables. For larger events, the entire restaurant can be reserved for up to 500 guests. The patio, with stunning waterfront views, holds up to 150 guests. There are several different menu options for both sit-down dinners and buffets, and the attentive catering staff will even work with couples to create custom appetizers, entrées, and desserts that appeal to their specific tastes.
SAY “I DO” IN CHOO
Among the hotel’s exclusive wedding offerings is the opportunity to be treated to an after-hours store consultation at the Jimmy Choo Boutique in Copley Place—along with a pair of shoes to wear on your special day!—if you book a Friday or Sunday wedding.
Boater’s Paradise
Flying Bridge
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Set on glorious Falmouth Harbor, the Flying Bridge has long been a Cape Cod mainstay. With 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor entertaining space, the restaurant was remodeled in 2023. The bride and groom often arrive here by boat while their guests watch them from the deck. Featuring a grand-stairway entrance, the second-floor event space provides an idyllic backdrop with floor-to-ceiling windows and accordion doors overlooking the harbor and a deck that wraps around the building. A quartz-topped U-shaped bar, an ample dance floor, and the ability to accommodate a 200-person seated dinner prepared by chef Leon Biscoe and his team, which includes an on-site master sushi chef, are all part of the program.
The restaurant also hosts on-site ceremonies in an arbor overlooking the harbor or, for smaller groups, on the upper deck. If your dream is to have a beach ceremony, the Flying Bridge’s sister property, the Tides, can accommodate that, as well as a rooftop reception with 360-degree views. The nearby beachfront hotel is also a great spot to set your guests up in; with 29 rooms, including a bridal suite, it’s one of the most desirable hotels to stay in town.
DAY-TRIPPING
Also set on Falmouth Harbor, directly across from the Flying Bridge and a short stroll from the Tides, is the Island Queen Ferry, which makes several daily trips to Martha’s Vineyard. The quick 35-minute ride to Oak Bluffs makes for a great summer day trip for wedding guests looking to make the most of their downtime.
First published in the print issue of Boston Weddings 2025 with the headline, “View Finders.”
Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings’ guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man accused of making antisemitic threats arrested after Nazi flag, ghost gun found in home
A Massachusetts man accused of making violent antisemitic threats was arrested on Saturday and is facing illegal gun possession charges after a ghost gun and a Nazi flag were recovered by authorities during a sweep of his home.
Matthew Scouras, a 34-year-old living in Beverly, Mass., allegedly threatened to rape Jewish women and motivated others to shoot anyone seen outside synagogues on an online message board, according to investigators.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations notified local authorities on Thursday that someone in their province was posting the menacing threats online, the Beverly Police Department said.
Police searched Scouras’ home and recovered a Nazi flag, a 9mm Glock “ghost gun” without a serial number, three large-capacity magazine rifles, a jig used to drill holes in polymer pistol handles, scopes, rifle stocks, and other gun parts, including 11 lower receivers for rifles, according to the local department.
Officers also found over $70,000 in cash, a cellphone, and two desktop computers.
The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations praised local law enforcement for taking down the alleged Nazi supporter.
“We welcome the arrest of this suspect, thank law enforcement authorities for their action in the case and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and all other communities of faith targeted by hatred and violence,” CAIR-MA Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud wrote in a statement.
Scouras is currently being held by the Beverly Police Department and will undergo a mental health screening.
The charges levied against him include 12 counts of unlicensed firearm possession coupled with single counts of threats to destroy a place of worship, willful communication of a threat with a dangerous item, making of a firearm without a serial number, possession of a large capacity feeding device, illegal possession of ammunition and improper storage of a firearm.
Scouras was arraigned Monday and held without bail, police said. He is set to appear in court for a detention hearing on Jan. 13.
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