Saturday Evening Update: Wind Over-Performing A Bit Tonight In Vermont

Wind gusts are forecast to go over 50 mph in areas
shaded in darker orange and over 60 mph in places shaded
in red tonight, according to this National Weather
Service forecast map. 

 Unlike the last storm on Monday, when the winds weren't quite as fierce as many forecasters thought, tonight's storm is a wee bit stronger than earlier forecasts. 

To oversimplify, I think those horrible tornadoes last night were one clue that the storm up here, while lacking any tornadoes of course, had a little more oomph than some computer models suggested.

I'll get more into the tornadoes in tomorrow morning's post, but I have to say the wind is cranking.  Here in St. Albans, I'd clock gusts as I write this to at or a little over 40 mph.  I guess you can say I've already suffered "storm damage" because the gusts ripped the bows off the wreaths we put up in front of the house.  Somehow, I think we'll survive that.

Gusts in Burlington have been nearing that level.

This won't be a super destructive wind storm in Vermont by any stretch of the imagination. But it will lead to scattered issues with fallen tree limbs and snapped wires here and there. 

Areas outside the Champlain Valley are much calmer. Near Lake Champlain, the wind is funneled up the valley, squeezed between the Adirondacks to the west and Green Mountains to the east. 

These winds are bringing in some super mild air.  It's in the mid-50s in western Vermont, where the winds are blowing.

To the east, protected from the wind and in an area where this morning's warm front is struggling to make its journey north and east, it's still chilly.  It was still only 36 degrees at 6 p.m. in Springfield, in southeastern Vermont.  

The cold front that is supposed to bring the strongest winds won't come through until late this evening, so enjoy the springlike temperatures until it gets here.  It'll be in the 50s for a few hours yet.

The worst winds will come along and behind the cold front, as previously forecast. It's looking like winds in parts of Vermont, especially in the northern Champlain Valley and the east slopes of the Greens, could reach the 50 to 55 mph range.

That's at or a little above the threshold when the wind starts to cause a few power outages, so watch out for that this evening. Charge your devices, just in case. As of 6 p.m., power outages were few and far between in Vermont, but that will change later tonight. 

At least the winds won't be as bad as they are or will be further west. The northern Adirondacks can expect wind gusts to 60 mph later this evening.

It's even worse further west. Winds gusted to 71 mph this afternoon in Buffalo, New York. The strong southwest winds there caused Lake Erie to slosh toward Buffalo, causing lakeshore flooding there, while on the opposite side of the lack near Toledo, Ohio, Lake Erie was unusually low.

There's also a lot of power outages in and near Toronto, Ontario, Canada as winds gust past 60 mph.

In any event, enjoy the roar of the wind outdoors tonight in parts of Vermont, but a few of us might find our TV watching interrupted by power issues caused by downed trees or branches.