Despite a warmer-than-average winter and early spring in New England, the world's oldest annual marathon will be run for the 114th time in Boston, Mass. Monday, April 19, in comfortable running weather and temperatures for the middle of April.A storm will affect the Boston area, and much of New England, Friday into Sunday with rounds of chilly rain, gusty winds and even wet snow in some higher elevations of New England and New York state.
The early indications are that the storm will have moved offshore, but clouds may fail to break in time for the marathon. However, brisk conditions are expected with north-northwest winds averaging 12 to 22 mph and locally higher gusts.
Only if another arm from the offshore storm rotates southward would rain and drizzle linger or briefly return Monday.
The course which begins in Hopkinton and heads through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline, before concluding in Boston takes a general east-northeast heading that would translate to cross winds most of the way Monday morning.
Despite temperatures averaging nearly 10 degrees above normal for the first half of April in Boston, it will feel a little chilly in Beantown Monday.
Temperatures at the start of the race are expected to be in the low 40s and will climb toward 50 degrees as most runners reach the finish line. The combination of wind, lowering humidity levels and other factors would result in AccuWeather.com RealFeel® Temperatures trailing the actual temperature by about 10 degrees.
The Boston Marathon has never been called off. However, a raging nor'easter made for some tense for moments for officials and runners during decision time 12 hours before the race in 2007. Fortunately, the worst of the storm with its cold winds, heavy rain and sleet had passed in time for the race on April 16 that year.
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