Quick Thursday Evening Storm Update: Still Going To Snow In Mountains Amid Welcome Rain

Thursday evening snow update from the National
Weather Service in South Burlington. Some of 
the mountains expect lots of snow, but the 
valleys should get little to none. 

It's been raining all day across most if not all of Vermont today, and the wetting has been most welcome. 

As of 5 p.m., Burlington had received 0.52 inches of rain today.  That's not a tremendous amount of rain and nothing unusual for a single day.  

Still, it's the wettest day since February 16 and as the rain continues, we'll probably see today as the wettest day all year. It's not huge, but we'll take it.

The late Thursday afternoon forecast updates show that expectations haven't changed at all since this morning. The mountains of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and western Maine are in for a pretty big snowstorm late tonight and Friday. 

Those areas, mostly above 1,500 feet in elevation, are still looking at six to 12 inches of snow. It will still take awhile for rain to go over to snow except on the highest peaks.  As of 4 p.m. today, the tippy top of Mount Mansfield was getting close, as the temperature there was 36 degrees.

The rain has been well-distributed throughout Vermont today, with even some brief periods of heavy rain over the Champlain Valley late this afternoon.

Though rain and snow will continue area wide tonight, it will become more focused on southern Vermont as the coastal low develops and becomes the dominate weather maker. 

Way up high in the southern Greens, this could mean LOTS of snow.  The National Weather Service in Albany, New York said some of the highest peaks in southern Vermont could receive 15 inches of wet snow.

Even six inches of wet snow can bring down trees and power lines, so power outages are a good bet later tonight and Friday in some high elevation towns, especially south. 

It still looks like many valley locations will see some snow Friday morning, but accumulations are still looking light. 

Also unchanged is the forecast for the rest of tomorrow and tomorrow night. Light snow and rain will go back to all rain in the valleys, but temperatures will stay chilly. It probably won't break 40 degrees. Snow will continue in the mountains, but will taper off Friday night. 

Overall, total rain and melted snow still looks to be around an inch, but closer to two inches in some favored southern Vermont towns and only a half inch or so in the Northeast Kingdom. 

The weekend looks OK. Saturday will be generally cloudy and a bit chilly, but it will be seasonable and at least partly sunny Sunday - back up in the 50s.