Best time to visit US Northeast (New York, Boston)

The best time to visit US Northeast (New York, Boston) is May–Oct. It is the only stretch of the year — 6 months — rated go on both daytime heat and rainfall.

Four seasons; humid summers

Best window
May–Oct
Driest month
November · 28% rainy days
Warmest month
July · 26.0°C / 79°F
Coolest month
January · 3.6°C / 38°F
Months rated go
6 of 12

Month by month

Monthly climate normals for US Northeast (New York, Boston), 1991–2020
MonthHigh °CHigh °FRainy daysVerdict
January3.63832%Too cold
February4.03933%Too cold
March6.84436%Fair
April11.85338%Fair
May16.96240%Go
June22.37244%Go
July26.07942%Go
August25.97941%Go
September22.87333%Go
October17.46329%Go
November11.65328%Fair
December6.74434%Fair

Verdict combines mean daytime high with rainy-day frequency. “Rainy days” is the share of days in the month with at least 1 mm of rain.

What the numbers say

November is the driest month, with rain on 28% of days and daytime highs near 11.6°C (53°F). June is the wettest, at 44%. Temperature swings hard across the year — 22.4°C between July (26.0°C / 79°F) and January (3.6°C / 38°F) — so packing for the wrong month is the main risk. The record rules out too cold in Jan–Feb.

Where else to go