Boston in January

What do you think about visiting in January? Am I crazy? We were thinking of seeing a lot of museums and will be inside mostly. I live in Chicago and not afraid of cold although not sure how much it snows there.

Boston in January

If you can possibly choose another month or--better still--another time of year, please do. Put it this way: in January, it can be bitterly bitterly cold, so cold that it%26#39;s punishment to walk a city block. Last winter, it didn%26#39;t snow much at all but it can snow a lot. If you%26#39;re from Chicago, you%26#39;re used to it but... considering how nice it is walking around in the spring/summer/fall, I can%26#39;t imagine coming here for the winter, considering how much hotels cost, etc.

So much of what%26#39;s great about Boston is outdoors: the waterfront, the outdoor cafes, street performers, whale watches and the Freedom Trail... Ok, the Common has the GREAT winter skating on the Frog Pond and a brisk walk in the cold can be invigorating but sometimes it%26#39;s just downright unpleasant. Unless you take cabs or pay to park, getting to museums involves walking from T stops, which aren%26#39;t far but in very cold weather, a block is a long walk.

Do you really want to spend your vacation rushing along slippery sidewalks braced against wind-chill? Given a choice, January would be the last month I%26#39;d choose to visit here---especially considering that between Chiago and Boston, your odds of having a flight cancelled due to bad weather are pretty good. Also, by January, the Christmas decorations are down, First Night is over, etc. It would not be my month to visit. If you want to come in the cold, I%26#39;d pick December, which is festive and full of activities.

Sorry to be down on the idea. I%26#39;m a native Bostonian, am not afraid of the cold, but I don%26#39;t especially like it. Maybe you wouldn%26#39;t mind it as much as I do. You might check weather.com to see our weather patterns. If you like walking around Chicago in the winter, then maybe you have the right stuff to make a January vacation here work!

Boston in January

Thank you so much CoCO Sandy for writing such a lengthy and intelligent response. We will visit Boston at another time of the year.

I agree with everything cocosandy says, but I wouldn%26#39;t rule out a January trip completely. Since it is off-season you may get a really good deal on a hotel. Like you say, there is plenty to do inside. In addition to museums there are also Bruins and Celtics games and the theatre.

It is likely to be pretty cold here in January, but you could luck out and come during the ';January thaw';, too.

Snow is unpredictable. There may be a lot, a little or none. But, if you are staying downtown and not parking and driving even if there is a storm it should be no big deal for you (unless it affects your flight plans).

I agree also January can be nasty,i would choose the fall,Sept-Nov,the weather will be much better.