APCH LIGHT SYS WENT OTS WHILE AN ACR FLT WAS ON THE GND. ATIS WAS NOT UPDATED AND THE FLT TOOK OFF BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS WITHOUT A TKOF ALTERNATE BEING FILED IN THEIR FLT PLAN.

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FLT ARRIVED IN THE BOSTON AREA AT APPROX XA00. ATIS INFO WAS COPIED DOWN BY THE FO AS WE HELD OVER GARDNER; MA. WE EXITED HOLDING AND LANDED BOSTON AT APPROX XA35 AND BLOCKED INTO THE GATE AT XA49. DEPARTING AS FLT TO CLEVELAND WE BLOCKED OUT AT XB25 AND WERE AIRBORNE AT XB40 (APPROX). DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME PERIOD THE ATIS WAS NOT CHANGED EVEN THOUGH BOSTON WAS EXPERIENCING A MAJOR SNOW STORM. FROM LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATIONS ON DEP CTL; WE LEARNED THAT THE APCH LIGHT SYS FOR RWY 4R WAS INOP AND THAT BOSTON WX WAS NOW BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. ALTHOUGH WE HAD TKOF MINIMUMS FOR RWY 9; FAR REQUIRES US TO HAVE A TKOF ALTERNATE FOR DEPS WHEN WX IS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. AS PLTS WE NEED TO BE KEPT INFORMED OF CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT OUR FLT. HAD WE KNOWN ABOUT THE APCH LIGHTS BEING OTS WE COULD HAVE EASILY OBTAINED A TKOF ALTERNATE -- SINCE WE DIDN'T; WE VIOLATED FAR. CTLRS SHOULD BE TAUGHT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ATC WAS AWARE THAT THE LIGHTS AFFECTED ARR TFC. IF SOMEONE IN THE CAB WOULD HAVE ASKED THEMSELVES 'WHAT IF ONE OF MY DEPS NEEDS TO DO AN AIR RETURN?' IT WOULD HAVE BECOME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT 'YES; THIS AFFECTS ALL TFC.' IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EVERY DAY I EITHER HEAR OR READ THAT ATC RECOGNIZES A NEED TO GET ESSENTIAL INFO TO THE PLTS IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER. I HAVE YET TO SEE IT PUT INTO PRACTICE.