Vermont Threads The Needle: Elsa Heavy Rain, Severe Weather Detour Around State

Screen shot from a viral video showing rather wet 
conditions in New York's subway system after torrential 
rains on Thursday. Via the Gothamist/Paul Leewr

Vermont expected a real soaker of a rain from a storm boosted by moisture from Tropical Storm Elsa.

Instead, meh. 

It did rain a little around here, but not nearly as much as had been long forecasted. Which is actually a disappointment.  I and many others had been excited about a drought-busting, or at least drought denting drenching.

As of early this morning, Burlington received less than half an inch so far. Here in St. Albans, only a measly quarter inch of rain deigned to grace my unofficial rain gauge.  

Montpelier was closing in on one inch of rain, thanks to them getting a bullseye early this morning from one of the patchy downpours that were still around as dawn broke. 

More showers this morning and early afternoon will add a bit to the totals, but rainfall was certainly underwhelming here in the Green Mountain State.  What can I say? The forecasts were wrong.

Elsewhere in the East and Northeast, there was a lot of destructive weather, either from Tropical Storm Elsa or a storm coming in from the Great Lakes. 

In western and northwestern New York, at least a couple tornadoes touched down yesterday, causing some damage, including at least one home in Westernville, New York that lost its roof. A 92 mph gust was reported in another western New York town.

Flooding was a big issue in pockets of the Northeast, including New York City, where more than 1.5 inches of rain fell within an hour, badly inundating subways, highways and streets.  Areas of flooding were reported from Florida to Connecticut Wednesday and Thursday. 

Meanwhile, this morning, Tropical Storm Elsa was holding her own as she swept northeastward from near the coast of New Jersey toward southern New England. 

Gusts of 79 mph were reported at Sea Isle City,  and 71 mph at Beach Haven, on the Jersey Shore. The National Hurricane Center said those reports were because the anemometers were near tornadic circulations, which of course isn't great. 

Plants on my St. Albans, Vermont deck did get a little wetting
last night, but not the super soaking that had been forecast.
Much less rain fell than predicted

As Tropical Storm Elsa zips through already soaked Southern New England, it will lay down a quick stripe of two to five inches of rain, so flash flooding is inevitable today from Connecticut, up through eastern Massachusetts and all along the coast of Maine. 

LOOKING AHEAD

Here in Vermont, showers should gradually taper off as the day wears on. 

It should be a nice weekend, with comfortable temperatures both Saturday and Sunday and humidity low enough to feel good. Pack the sunscreen. You'll need it. 

Don't get used to such Chamber of Commerce weather. 

The Bermuda High out in the Atlantic is just about to reassert itself, bulging northward and westward and affecting us. But not in a good way.

It won't get super hot, but the tropical southerly flow will make it awfully humid in Vermont for most of next week. Really icky, if you ask me. Nights will be really stuffy, too.

With the tropical air in place, there's a daily risk of very localized, torrential downpours Unfortunately, there won't be widespread wetting, but each day Tuesday through at least Thursday will feature a chance of showers and storms, mostly in the afternoons and evenings. 

While there is a low chance of pinpoint spots that could get enough rain from these to trigger flash floods, it's looking like most of us won't get all that much rain. We'll just have to wait and see how that plays out.