Spring Snowstorm Over-performs In Vermont, Bad Roads, Power Failures

 Boy did I wake up to a winter wonderland in St. Albans, Vermont today. 

That initial thump of snow that was expected to be the big opening act of today's storm really made a big show of things.

Many areas have much more snow on the ground that expected. The roads are atrocious. Tree branches are breaking under the weight of the slush. Power outages in Vermont are mounting.

You just might want to hang tight where you are this morning instead of going anywhere.  Things should improve this afternoon as temperatures rise and precipitation changes to a light, cold rain.

This was always going to be a marginal storm with high bust potential. A degree or two warmer and this all would have been rain. But it was a degree or two colder than forecast. So snow it is! 

Not a lot of snow reports are in as I write this.  I'll update this post later with more totals. At my place in St. Albans, I've received 3.5 inches of new snow and it was still coming down as of 6:30 a.m. The National Weather Service office in South Burlington reports 2.5 inches. 

At least 14,000 homes and businesses in Vermont were without power as of 7:00 this morning, and that number was rising. 

The band of heavy snow from early this morning was lifting north and pivoting westward into the Adirondacks.  This is a pretty dynamic storm and this band of snow is quite heavy. Some thundersnow even popped up out in central New York. 

Vermont Agency of Transportation web came shows
lovely road conditions along Interstate 89 in 
Brookfield this morning. 

East winds are picking up, too, which will make the power outage situation worse until the snow starts to melt later this morning.

Southeastern Vermont - at least the low elevations - largely missed out on the snow. It's mostly rain there. 

Up next a slot of somewhat drier air will come in later this morning, and the precipitation in Vermont should taper off into spotty light rain and drizzle. Snow will probably continue in the Adirondacks and much of central New York, though. 

At that point, with warm ground temperatures the snow will rapidly melt off the roads. It will take longer, of course, on grassy and other surfaces.

Those areas are still going to be hit much harder than Vermont, with some places in for a good foot of snow out there.

Trust me though. Spring comes back later this week. I promise