Thursday Evening Vermont Snow Update: Forecast Still Steady As She Goes

 

This evening's snow forecast from the National Weather
Service office in South Burlington is little changed from
this morning. A moderate fall of fluffy snow is coming.

 We went from clear to overcast skies today, as expected, as what continues to look like the little storm that could continues to approach Vermont.   

We're in the final "windshield wipering" phase of the snow forecast, where predicted accumulations go back and forth from slightly lighter to slightly heavier and back again and again. 

 These small changes in how much any particular spot should get won't really matter. 

But the basic premise is still the same as it was this morning. Most of us should get a light to moderate snow, with the most in the Green Mountains and the least in the central and southern Champlain Valley

The sweet spot remains the central and northern Green Mountains. Those areas will see six to as much as 10 inches of fluffy snow. 

The Champlain Valley south of roughly Colchester and low elevations of Rutland and Bennington counties should get the least, with about 2 to as much as 4 inches of snow. The rest of us should end up with three to six inches. 

This will be a "Road Runner" kind of storm. It will really
be in and out of Vermont in a jiffy 

Winds might get breezy at times late tonight and Friday morning. Since the snow will be fluffy and powdery, it will blow around easily. So in addition to the snow on the roads late tonight and during at least part of the Friday morning commute, visibility might be an issue. 

For valleys, the snow still looks like it will be said and done by mid-morning Friday. This little bugger of a storm from the Great Lakes is moving right along. It's not in the mood to loiter around Vermont.

One model, for instance, has the storm a little north of Buffalo, New York around 7 p.m, tonight, then pretty close to Burlington around 2 a.m Friday; and off the coast of Maine by around sunrise. Kinda reminds me of the Road Runner, honestly.   

Lingering moisture well behind this system will keep the snow showers going in the central and northern Green Mountains all day and into Friday evening. Which is part of the reason why the Greens are going to do well with this storm.

Overall, this will be a pretty painless event, and will do more good than harm.  Sure, the roads will be crappy Friday morning, and you'll have to shovel snow.

The snow will be light and fluffy, so should be easy to clear. For a change, we're not getting heavy, wet "heart attack snow." 

Anybody who wants to go cross country skiing or snowmobiling ought to be encouraged.

It won't exactly establish a nice big snowpack in the mountains, but at least it will add a little. And definitely freshen things up enough to hopefully attract skiers and riders.  

 The forecast beyond Friday hasn't changed, much, either. We will have some bouts of light snow and flurries off and on Saturday through at least Monday.  Temperatures will stay reasonable, too. Most days will be in the 20s. Nights will be more variable, with lows in the single numbers to low 20s.

Another thaw seems like it wants to arrive by about Wednesday. As I said this morning, the new thaw doesn't look like it will last as long or be as extreme as the last one.