Mild temperatures, light winds make for great Marathon weather

As the Boston Marathon returns to its Patriots' Day schedule after a long disruption, it seems fortunate that we're not going to have to contend with the weather creating any issues.

Monday begins with a brilliant clear sky and cold temperatures. Readings have been more like May the past week, but we're not out of the woods for frost just yet.

With the strong April sunshine, temperatures will quickly reach into the 40s by 8 a.m., and continue to rise to the mid-50s in the early afternoon. It will be about 52 degrees around 1 p.m. at the finish line.

Ten years ago, when the race was run on April 16, temperatures got into the 80s in Boston for the warmest finish line temperature during any race. However, 1976 was probably hotter overall during the race — even dangerously so. We've also seen years with heavy rain, or even a trace of snow.

Runners also do not like a lot of wind. A wind coming from the west would be a good tailwind, and help move the run a bit faster, but a headwind can be difficult to deal with.

This year, winds will be very light — virtually insignificant — allowing the athletes to cut through the air under their own power.

The sun is very strong, and whether the temperature is in the 40s or 70s, its strength  is the same.

By this time of year, the amount of UV radiation is equivalent to Aug. 24, so if you are out watching the race, you'll definitely want to put on sunscreen. If I were a runner, I might even have some friends spray sunscreen on me on the way to Boston.

A new storm system is going to bring rain on Tuesday, and some clouds from that system will start to increase during the afternoon as the sun begins to fade behind them. Some of the rain could be heavy at times. This will be followed by a return to seasonable temperatures and dry weather the rest of the week.