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| Visible satellite photo from this morning shows clouds still centered over Vermont. All that milky stuff is wildfire smoke from Canada covering most of the eastern U.S. and much of Canada. |
I didn't see any flash flood warnings in Vermont, but given the relatively risk going into yesterday and what radar looked like, I'm sure there were some driveway washouts, eroded back roads and other bits of trouble in parts of the state, especially in the Northeast Kingdom.
There was no widespread damage, to be sure, but there had to be a boatload of minor issues to keep town road crews really busy and owners of steep property frustrated.
Rainfall has been super variable. Some times had a few inches of rain between Sunday and Wednesday. Other places completely missed out. Between Saturday evening and Wednesday evening, my place in St. Albans, Vermont got a paltry 0.10 inches.
The good news is the showers and thunderstorms will be greatly diminished today and tomorrow. The bad news is the smoke is back. The mixed news is that we're getting something of a break from the humidity today, but it will be back for an extended stay, starting tomorrow and then ramping up more afterwards.
We'll deal with all three issues but let's start with the smoke.
SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
Another air quality alert is in effect for Vermont starting at 10 a.m. and lasting to at least midnight tonight. I have a feeling the air quality alert might be extended into tomorrow. We are one of at least 17 states that are dealing with air quality alerts today.
That smoke from Canadian wildfires is persistent. And a lot of it is trapped in a rather slow moving weather pattern, the same one that is providing all the showers and humidity to the Northeast.
The air quality was actually pretty good over Vermont early this morning, but it will deteriorate during the day as light west and northwest winds shift the smoke back into our neck of the woods.
I don't think the air quality will get quite as bad as it was over northern Vermont on Sunday, but it will still be a bit rough for people with lung issues, asthma, that sort of thing. Unlike Sunday, the smoke will cover the entire state, not just the north.
I'm not sure exactly when the smoke will flush out. But my prediction earlier in the spring that this summer would be smoky is coming true, and I don't see an end to the smoke risk anytime soon.
RAIN/DOWNPOURS
The chances of rain are down today, but not eliminated. The upper level low that has been causing the wet weather is still nearby, but at least it's slowly departing. The best chances for showers and storms will be in eastern Vermont, and maybe northern parts of the state close to the Canadian border.
Even so, anything that comes will be hit and miss. There might be one or two instances of locally heavy downpours, but if that happens, it won't last long and I'm not worried about any flooding.
Friday, hallelujah! it looks like we'll get through an entire day without rain. It'll be partly sunny, smoky, and in the low to mid 80s with moderate humidity. So, for once, not bad!
IT'S ONLY HUMID
The high humidity, and daily scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms return Saturday and stay with us through the Fourth of July and probably beyond. It won't be that hot, as the weather pattern is shunting the truly scorching hot weather to the southern half of the United States.
Still, with afternoon temperatures in the low 80s and dew points in the upper 60s, it will be uncomfortable.
Get used to stuffy nights and iffy afternoon weather. We won't have any days during that stretch that will be complete washouts, but if you're doing anything outdoors, you'll need to keep an eye on the sky as local downpours will be a near constant threat.
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