So far, 2025 has been the windiest year on record for Boston, statistics show
But here's the alarming stat — Boston is currently seeing the gustiest year on record and by a long shot, averaging nearly 10 miles per hour above the average dating back to when Logan Airport started recording wind data in 1936.
2025 is pacing over 2 mph stronger than the previous record set in 2010, averaging 32.64 mph.
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Boston is averaging the highest wind gusts on record through the first five and a half months in 2025.
IEM
If you're wondering the difference between wind speed and wind gust here's a quick breakdown. Wind speed is determined by the average flow during a minimum two-minute stretch while gusts are recorded as sudden, instantaneous increases in wind that can last anywhere between a few seconds and 30 seconds. Wind gusts are a bit more accurate, and certainly more noticeable, in painting the picture of what the wind is like out there during any given day.
Look at Boston's top seven gustiest years between January 1 and June 15. Notice how all of them are in the past 16 years, a hint towards a warming atmosphere that has made our weather patterns a bit more extreme.
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The top seven average wind gust speed across Logan Airport from January 1 through June 15.
Boston Globe
As far as sustained wind speeds in Boston, this year has been above the 30-year average but below the overall average of the 89-year data set available at Logan. This year's wind speed has averaged 12.28 mph, the highest since 2000.
Sustained wind speeds at Boston's Logan Airport have been the highest since 2000.
Boston Globe
What's the reason behind the strong wind gusts this year?
The answer jumps out if you think about the above wind speed and wind gust charts, why such a dramatic jump? Well, we've simply seen more storms this year.
'Wind is essentially air moving from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure,' said the National Weather Service in Norton, Mass.
It's a simple but effective reason. Storms are comprised of areas of low pressure and follow along the jet stream. This year, the jet stream has been positioned very close to Boston, mainly because there is no influence from naturally occurring weather patterns like El Niño or La Niña. Conditions have been neutral, which makes the jet steam behave a bit more erratic.
This year, there has only been a handful of occasions where the jet stream was more than 200 miles away from New England.
An example of the jet stream this Spring, sliding a storm close to Boston.
Boston Globe
With it closer to Boston, more storms are slinging across the region. Do I need to refer to the current rainy weekend streak that we're on? With more storms passing closer to the city, we see more instances of stronger winds.
We also have seen a stronger North Atlantic high pressure, which naturally bows the jet stream to the north, paralleling the New England coast. A stronger high has allowed storms to strengthen as they pull away from Boston. This increases the pressure gradient and we've seen the resulting jump in stronger wind gusts.
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If you increase the angle at which high pressure flows to low pressure, then you get more speed.
We'll likely see the winds calm down a bit the deeper we get into summer. This tends to occur naturally as temperature differences between air masses decrease and wind speeds relax a bit.
But until then, you'll want to hold onto your hats.
Ken Mahan can be reached at
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