1916 Boreas a rotation period between 3.4741 and 3.49 hours with a brightness variation between 0.25 and 0.35 magnitude (). In 1994, astronomer Tom Gehrels estimated "Boreas" to measure 3.5 kilometers in diameter, based on an assumed albedo of 0.15. The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 3.07 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 14.93. This minor planet is named after the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas, as the asteroid was discovered moving rapidly northward after passing the ascending node of its orbit. The official naming citation was
USS Boreas (AF-8) storm. The average load of the USS Boreas was valued at $917,280, with a miximum individual load value of $1,077,961 and a minimum individual load value of $688,001. The value of the Boreas cargo of fresh, frozen and dry stores for the entire period amounted to the sum total of $25,028,288. A further breakdown of cargo delivered reveals the following: Auckland and New Zealand were the principal loading ports for the USS Boreas during the latter part of 1944 and 1945. It was because of this that the Boreas achieved the distinction of being the special friend of small craft