Winter Started This Morning In Vermont. Roads Are Bad But Could Be Worse

So far so good. Vermont Agency of Transportation web cam
of Interstate 89 in Milton shows not terrible roads,
and traffic managing to make it through. 

 As expected, we awoke to a decent snowfall this morning as the first winter weather system descended o Vermont, and a lot of the interior Northeast. 

At 7:30 a.m. as I was writing this, a good steady, wet snow was falling over central and northern Vermont, while southern Vermont was dealing with mixed precipitation. A quick check of Vermont Agency of Transportation web cams shows most, if not all roads in the state looking slick.

If you didn't leave earlier than usual, you will be or are late for work. I'm also seeing a few power outages cropping up in Orange County. I think the wet snow and mixed precipitation will lead to a few more outages, but it probably won't be super widespread.

The mixed precipitation in southern Vermont will probably move north this morning, especially east of the Green Mountains. I see the mix possibly getting as far north as St. Johnsbury. 

The forecast for the rest of the storm hasn't changed much.  Precipitation will continue to come down steadily this morning, with mostly snow in northwest, at least for awhile. As of 8 a.m., I measured 2.1 inches of new snow in St. Albans, away from the lake at a 650 foot elevation. Latest reports from the National Weather Service office in South Burlington, Vermont indicate widespread two to three inch totals so far.

Meaning the forecast is turning out pretty accurate.

Total accumulations will be one to three inches in the Champlain Valley and two to six inches elsewhere north. Since the snow is coming down at a good clip, the roads will remain iffy through much of the morning, despite the great efforts of snow plow crews. 

Interstate 89 in Waterbury looking a bit slick at around
8:15 a.m. per Vermont AOT webcam. 

As of 8 a.m I hadn't heard of any major traffic tie-ups on the roads, but that could easily change at any moment. 

Later on this morning and this afternoon, drier air will come in aloft. It will also warm up a little. It is pretty early in the winter season after all. 

That means broader valleys north will go from snow to patchy non freezing drizzle or light showers. Some of the snow will melt, which will help with driving conditions. But note that temperatures will all back below freezing this evening, so ice will form on untreated roads. Scattered snow showers will add to the potential icy experience on the pavement.

Since it will stay relatively cold through early next week, much of the snow that falls today will stick around.

Meanwhile, an epic lake effect snowstorm is shaping up downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It'll go Thursday through Saturday, peaking Friday. Several feet of snow might fall on downtown Buffalo and around Watertown, New York.

The lake effect snow will be so intense that some of it on Friday will make it all the way across northern Vermont. Valleys might even get a little accumulation out of this.  Fans of Jay Peak should be rejoicing because this is a situation in which they can get blasted by heavy snow to start to the ski season.

At this point, Jay Peak isn't scheduled to open until December 10, but this could inspire an early opening. We shall see.