Physiographic Regions and How They Were Formed:
The entire state of Massachusetts was covered in ice during the glacial period. Continental and alpine glaciers both influence the shape of the geography of the state. Most of the features were created by "moraine", which is material left behind by glacial movement. Much of the state shows typical glacial features, such as shallow kettle ponds, hilly drumlins, and sandy eskers. The land is mostly rocky with very little rich soil and therefore not very fertile. The early settlers who cleared forest in an attempt to make Massachusetts a farming colony were in for a big surprise.
The beaches and capes were formed by debris that was scattered by melting glaciers, some of which is called "glacial flour" that flowed down hills and through rives to the coastal areas. The lowland hills still contain many glacial lakes. The mountainous highlands contain many "monadnocks", which were also formed by glacial movement. As you can see in the photos below, Massachusetts is a beautiful state with a variety of natural landscapes.
Stream near Washburnham, Massachusetts (c) 2008 Paul Somers
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/biohires/ecoregions/h50410brown-brk-ashburnham-maps616.jpg 
Coastal Wetlands at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, MA. Credit: Kelly Fike/USFWS
http://usfwsnortheast.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/gifts-from-nature-storm-protection/
Climate:
Specific to climate regions, Massachusetts falls under both the Humid Microthermal Continental Region, which makes up the Northern and Western parts of the state, and the Humid Mesothermal Subtropical Region which makes up the Southern and Eastern parts of the state.
"Although Massachusetts is a relatively small state, there are significant climatic differences between its eastern and western sections. The entire state has cold winters and moderately warm summers, but the Berkshires in the west have both the coldest winters and the coolest summers. The normal January temperature in Pittsfield in the Berkshires is 22°F (–6°C), while the normal July temperature is 68°F (20°C). The interior lowlands are several degrees warmer in both winter and summer; the normal July temperature is 71°F (22°C). The coastal sections are the warmest areas of the state; the normal January temperature for Boston is 30°F (–1°C), and the normal July temperature is 74°F (23°C). The record high temperature in the state is 107°F (42°C), established at Chester and New Bedford on 2 August 1975; the record low is –35°F (–37°C), registered at Chester on 12 January 1981.
Precipitation ranges from 39 to 46 in (99 to 117 cm) annually, with an average for Boston (1971–2000) of 42.5 in (108 cm). The average snowfall for Boston is 42 in (107 cm), with the range in the Berkshires considerably higher. Boston's average wind speed is 13 mph (21 km/hr)." (city-data.com)
http://www.city-data.com/states/Massachusetts-Climate.html
Winter in the streets of South Boston, MA
Info came from: http://www.city-data.com/states/Massachusetts-Climate.html
and http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/02740
The graph was constructed via Microsoft Word by yours truly.
Hydrology and Waterway:
Maximum extent of glaciation from the Arctic reaches even past the state of Massachusetts. This is important because it effects the hydrology of the state including the slopes, drainage ways and other waterways. Rain and snowfall also contribute to the hydrology of the state. Massachusetts gets most of its precipitation in the inland where it is mountainous as a result of tectonic shifts in the plates, the same that made the bigger more inland Appalachian mountains. The water runs off the mountain into the various rivers. Internal and ground water flow also takes place when it soaks in the ground in the forested areas of the inland part of the state and runs off toward the coast. Precipitation from the atmosphere at the coast, naturally, also runs off into the ocean.
http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/laws/hydrol.pdf
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