Weather in Cambridge, MA - what do I wear!?
How I feet about the weather in Cambridge depends on what I am doing at the time.
Living in Cambridge means never having to go far, and never being required to take my car to get there.
I could walk, bike, take several different buses, or grab an uber for a short (affordable) ride.
Zip cars could come in handy if I didn’t want to deal with my car and the snow.
But let’s be real. You get all of the seasons.
Most people move to Cambridge on September 1 - ish
Many people arrive in Cambridge in August/September and it feels brutally hot. It can be humid and hot and most local shops and restaurants don’t refrigerate with air conditioning.
The warm weather encourages walking at a gentle pace, wearing light clothing, or maybe excursions to the beach or the Cape. People established those habits over the centuries for a reason.
It rarely hits 100F, but 95F here feels so much hotter to me than 95F in other places because you can’t go into a shop or restaurant (or most places) and cool off. Many restaurants will have the doors open or the air set in the 80s.
Not all homes have air conditioning here, although the number is increasing. Moving into a hot house in August/September takes determination. And hydration.
Fruit picking. Farmers Markets. Sailing. Rowing. Down the Cape. To the Lakes. The Beach.
October is the best time to live in Cambridge.
Heading into fall is completely amazing. October is the most incredible time to live in Cambridge. The trees are glorious. The leaves on the brick sidewalks couldn’t be more charming. And the air is just lovely.
Apple picking, cider drinks. Leaves. Leaves. Leaves.
Winter in Cambridge can be a challenge.
People head into winter with different thoughts. Some look forward to the snow. Some look forward to getting away to the islands someplace sunny. I find the winter to be a feature of Cambridge life and more enjoyable when managed well.
Invest in the gear you need of the best quality you can afford.
Boots, coats, hats, gloves. Waterproof everything.
You heard it here, and the “weather” websites obfuscate this with their averages….it gets COLD and the wind can be INSANE.
Chicago might be called the “windy city”, but Chicago isn’t even on this list of the Top 10 Windiest US Cities, and guess who is number one?
People will feel and experience winter differently….but I personally think about the weather with ranges of conditions and activities.
If I don’t have to go out…that one is easy. 🙂
Down to about freezing, good planning is just layers and waterproof boots and clothes. Good coats and boots.
Commuting outside a car…by train, by bike, walking, when it is windy and below 20F is a bit hazardous.
If I commute by car, cars don’t work very well when the temperature is below 0F. It causes problems, be aware. Safeguard for being stranded in the winter.
It does get somewhat colder than this sometimes. With windchills getting to -40, and record temperatures hitting -40.
Farenheit or Celsius? One of the most impressive pieces of knowledge I learned in my first job at Motorola was working on Mil Spec components…at -40 degrees, Farenheit and Celsius are about equal. You’re welcome.
Once you have your plan for how to manage the cold, the reality is that it does snow. Sometimes a little. Sometimes feet at a time. And that makes everything take a bit longer. Or a lot longer.
Being able to not spend a big chunk of your day shoveling snow and driving in slow, snowy traffic is one of the biggest flexes of living in Cambridge.
Skiing. Sledding. Light Festivals.
Spring in Cambridge is magical.
And then spring comes. Briefly. Everything explodes in color, the birds capture your attention everywhere, and the landscape completely transforms.
The sailing centers open, the coats and boots go to the back of the closet, and everything everywhere is green!
Full circle.
