Quick Early Thursday Afternoon Storm Update: Little More Snow Than Forecast

Snowflakes were still flying and road conditions were
still iffy as of 1:30 pm. today along Interstate 89 in
Middlesex, Vermont. 

 Many of us either kept snowing or flipped from mixed precipitation to snow late this morning and early afternoon.  Some of us here in Vermont got a little more snow than anticipated as a result. 

The complex temperature profile in the atmosphere is really challenging to forecasters, that's for sure. 

As the morning wore on, temperatures in the upper atmosphere began to cool, while down here where we live they kept warming.  The cooler temperature aloft ensured that snow would begin to predominate. The warmer temperatures in the valleys made the snow kind of wet and heavy, 

And the snow has lasted longer into the day than at least I thought  The result is road conditions are still not great this early afternoon as snow comes down pretty heavily at times. 

This also means snow amounts are starting to over-perform expectations. As of 11:30 a.m., there was three inches of new snow here in St. Albans, an we've had more since. It looks like Burlington had a good three inches of snow at least, too, compared to previous forecasts indicating they'd get maybe 1.5 inches. 

I still don't see a good list of snowfall accumulations so far across Vermont.  I hope that will come later today. 

The back edge of the heavier snow was fast approaching Vermont from the west as of 1:30 p.m. (I mean it this time!).  So, after 2 p.m. west, and by 4 p.m. west, the snow and any remaining mixed precipitation will taper off to a lighter, much  more showery type of thing. 

Also, as advertised, I'll have a look at the weekend storm in another post later today.