January 1: More than five hundred brave souls took part in the L Street Brownies' annual plunge in Boston Harbor. One of Boston's best-known rituals, the New Year's Day dip was the 104th such outing for the South Boston organization, which also uses the day's events to raise money for local scholarships. Swimmers, who were photographed from a Boston police boat in the harbor, caught a bit of a break: the temperature hit a high of 38 before snow and rain arrived midday.