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| Despite my watering efforts, this summer's heat and drought has taken a toll on garden plants like hostas, like this small one here. It's about to turn much cooler, but unfortunately, we're not going to get all that much rain. |
More on that in a minute, but let's take a look back at our warm Saturday.
Though most places in Vermont stayed in the 80s, Burlington made it to 90 degrees again Saturday, the 17th time it got that warm in Burlington. That puts 2025 in a five-way tie for 5th most 90s in a single season. The most was 26 in 1949, so we won't break that record.
A major shift in the weather pattern means chances are pretty good - but not definite - that we might have seen our last 90 degree day of 2025.
PRE-AUTUMN STARTS TODAY
You're really going to notice the cold front that will come through today. Unfortunately, the big event won't be because of a lot of rain, but instead, plunging temperatures.
I'll call it pre-autumn, and it's arriving more or less on schedule for the Green Mountain State. It traditionally hits sometimes in the second half of August and is a spell of cool weather that truly feels like fall.
In recent years, we haven't really had that late August cool spell quite as much. Thanks, climate change! But this year, I guess we're having an old school type late summer. This doesn't mean summer weather is over, but this cold front is just a shot across the bow warning us that fall is coming
Today
The cold front, which was poised in southern Quebec this morning doesn't have all that much moisture to work with. It hasn't really gotten humid ahead of it, so there's not a lot of water in the air to work with. Plus, this thing will be moving fast, so rain won't last all that long.
So, we'll maybe see a tenth to as much as a third of an inch of rain. Not enough to make a big dent in the brittle dryness we've been seeing.
High temperatures today in Vermont will range widely, from the mid 70s northwest to upper 80s southeast. The front will reach the northwest first, which is why it will be cooler up there.
I'm burying the headline a little but it will get noticeably colder this afternoon and evening. If you're going to be out and about today, bring a hoodie or jacket and maybe some long pants. It might start warm, but it will be cold by mid to late afternoon. Especially north.
North of Route 2, temperatures this afternoon could drop into the upper 50s, making it the first "autumn" day of the season. Further south, it'll go into the low and mid 60s, though southern Vermont will probably go from the 80s most of the day to the low 70s late afternoon or evening.
Be careful out on Lake Champlain, too. The wind will abruptly shift from south to north and get gusty. Amid those falling temperatures, you'll get those showers, cold winds and waves could reach to three to five feet out on the broad lake.
Stays Cool
Most of us in Vermont will start Monday with temperatures in the 40s. Maybe near 50 close to Lake Champlain. Sunshine will get us up into the 68 to 77 degree range Monday. Cool for mid-August, but not as nippy as late this afternoon in northern Vermont.
The cool air will stick around for a few days. After another cool night, highs on Tuesday will get well into the 70s in many places as sunshine begins to fade behind some clouds. Those highs are still a touch below normal but not far off.
Wednesday could be quite cool under clouds and showers. A lot of us won't get out of the 60s for highs. Very September-like.
Showers? Did someone say showers? I sure did, but again, unfortunately whatever comes through Wednesday will be no drought buster. But we'll take anything for rain, so midweek might be an unexpected mini-blessing.
Unexpected because previous forecasts indicated little if any rain this week. But now it looks like, or we hope a weak disturbance could draw in enough moisture to maybe give us a quarter inch of rain, give or take. Meteorologists will refine the expected rainfall when we get closer to the event.
It looks like the end of the week and beginning of the weekend will warm back up to summer levels (highs in the low 80s) but that probably won't last. This new weather pattern seems destined to bring in more chilly air the following week.
It's also too soon to get into details, but the upcoming pattern seems to unfortunately favor a lot of sun and not much rain. Sure, everybody loves a sunny day, but we also are getting more desperate for some super soaker storms.
That doesn't look like it's in the cards for awhile.
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