More on Marathon temperatures: Cooler air in the 40s
Cool air from Canada is set to settle in pretty quickly behind Sunday evening’s front, wicking away moisture from Greater Boston by early Monday. If the pattern holds, this will set up decreasing clouds throughout the day with chilly air and perhaps a bit of a wind chill.
What does the cooler air actually mean? Well, temperatures are set to drop notably below the seasonal norm for Monday. Instead of mild spring warmth, we’re looking at temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees below average for the Boston area.
Early indications suggest race-morning temperatures starting in the upper 30s or low 40s, with afternoon highs only climbing into the mid- to upper 40s.
For runners, that could actually be a plus. For spectators, bundle up.
Last year, morning temperatures edged into the mid-50s after scattered showers passed the night before. Hours later, the day hit a high of 73 under a clear, sunny day.
It’s really difficult to forecast wind speeds and direction this far out, but I’m starting to get confidence in a brisk westerly flow. This could set up a beneficial tailwind for runners. The winds may not be as strong or as perfectly positioned as the ideal southwesterly tailwind during the 2011 race, where Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya set a course record of 2 hours and 3 minutes, 2 seconds, but any kind of tailwind can certainly help.
One thing to point out is the wind chill. Winds as of now may be pushing 15 to 20 mph across the region, which may make the cooler air feel downright brisk, especially at the start for runners and all day long for spectators along the route.
Below are the forecast wind chills around 11 a.m., Monday for the region. This may make it feel somewhere like the mid-30s in the morning, and the low 40s during the afternoon.

Timing of any precipitation
There still could be a few tweaks in the timing of the front, mainly with the chance for a spot sprinkle or maybe even a flurry to stick around Monday morning. Still, given how progressive our spring weather pattern has been, I do think that Sunday’s front will likely clear the region before the wheelchair race begins Monday morning.
Take a look at the different forecast models below showing Monday morning as dry across Eastern Mass.

Marathon weather stats for the past two decades
• The average daily high over the past 10 marathons has been 61 degrees. The years 2017, 2020, 2021, and last year all soared above 70. Last year saw a high of 73, very warm for runners.
• The coldest marathon day since 2000 was in 2018, with the high reaching only 43 degrees. This time around might end up closer to the coldest marathon than the warmest.
• Four of the last 10 marathons saw rain, with 2023 the last year the course ran in wet conditions.
We will be closely monitoring the weather conditions all week, leading up to the Marathon on April 20. Keep up-to-date with the latest Globe forecast by signing up for our free daily Globe Weather Forecast that will arrive straight into your inbox bright and early each morning.
Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.
