Strangely Warm And Humid Vermont, Until Stormy Saturday Ends That

Even as some perennials fade to yellow and gold, other 
flowers are still thriving in odd October warmth outside
my northern Vermont home. 

 It's so strange this time of year to be working outside amid glorious Vermont fall foliage, but sweating up a storm in summer-like humidity.

But that's the current state of affairs this oddly warm October.  

I'm not complaining, but the air is supposed to be bracing this time of year. Cool, gusty winds, frosty nights and even the first snow flurries of season are pretty much expected by the middle of this month in Vermont.

Instead, we're under murky, muggy skies, and the outdoor wardrobe is shorts and t-shirts, not fleece and wool. Humidity levels aren't extreme, it's not oppressive, but  you still feel it. Dew points were near 60 degrees yesterday and today, which is about what we normally expect in July.

Changes are afoot, though, so you will finally be able to wear your new autumn outdoor fashions by Sunday. True, temperatures will just fall to near average for this time of year Sunday and early next week. But after the current warmth, highs in the 50s and lows around 40 degrees will be a bit of a shock to the system.

Our landscape will look a lot different by Sunday too, as the transition to average October weather will bring gusty winds and downpours. Leaves are already falling from the trees fairly rapidly amid calm winds. So imagine what gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range and those rains will do.

Saturday will start off warm and muggy for the season once again, but rain will be moving in with an approaching cold front.

The cold front will have a line of showers and possibly even thunderstorms with it.  NOAA's Storm Prediction Center actually has us in a marginal risk zone for severe storms Saturday.  There is a possibility that the line of showers will have enough oomph to bring some stronger winds from aloft down to the surface.

There will probably be some isolated incidents of tree damage and maybe power failures here and there Saturday. The heaviest weather will come through Saturday afternoon and evening. 

Rainfall looks like it will be in the one half inch to one inch range.  So a good slug of precipitation but nothing scary.

As the colder air works in, Sunday will be one of those typical October days, with sun, clouds, scattered showers and a good breeze.  The tippy top of the mountains could get their first flurries of the season Sunday night, but that's iffy. Temperatures will be marginal. 

Unless skies unexpectedly totally clear and winds go to calm Monday night, most of us will remain frost free for awhile yet.  

The summit of Mount Mansfield hasn't touched 32 degrees yet this fall, so they've already smashed their record for the latest first freeze. The old record was October 6, 2011.

According to the National Weather Service in South Burlington, the record latest first freeze in Montpelier was on October 31, 1975.  Burlington's latest first freeze on record was November 1, 1920.  We'll see if we manage to break those records. We might!