The 130th Boston Marathon is a few short days away, and the forecast is lining up for a cool, dry Marathon Monday after a soggy Sunday. The race is expected to start in the upper 30s to low 40s in Hopkinton, then slowly climb into the upper 40s or about 50 degrees along the route to Boston.
Winds could be pushing 10 to 20 mph across the region, and that may make the start feel downright brisk for runners and spectators alike. Around 11 a.m. Monday, wind chills could make it feel like the mid-30s in the morning and the low 40s in the afternoon, even as the day stays dry across Eastern Massachusetts.
Sunday’s spot sprinkle chances are being held to less than 10 percent, with a frontal boundary expected to move through before more cool air from Canada settles in behind it overnight. By early Monday, high pressure should take over, wicking away moisture from Greater Boston and shifting winds to a northwesterly or westerly flow.
That pattern could help runners, because it may set up a beneficial tailwind on portions of the course. The chill is likely to be more noticeable for people lining the route than for the athletes themselves, with temperatures running about 10 to 15 degrees below average for the Boston area.
The weather leading into race day has been active, with warming temperatures and daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms, but the final turn looks favorable for racing. The forecast also recalls the 2011 Boston Marathon, when Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya set a course record of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds, a benchmark that still hangs over every fast day in Boston. For runners, Monday looks close to ideal. For spectators, it looks like a day for layers.
The Boston Marathon wheelchair race is expected to begin Monday morning after the front clears the region, starting a race day that should be dry from the first wave through the finish in Boston.
