For A Change In Vermont, A Wet Week Is Coming, And That Will Be Glorious. (Drought To Linger, Though)

A blue sky view from South Burlington, Vermont Friday
looking toward New York's Adirondacks. Many of
the leaves you see in this photo will be off the
trees by Tuesday after an expected bout of
wind and very welcome rain. 

Fingers crossed, it still looks like Vermont is in for a wet week. 

It won't end the drought, and overall, the weather pattern won't exactly turn soggy, But at least the drought won't keep getting worse, at least for a little while. 

The National Weather Service office in South Burlington is expecting more than an inch of rain between Sunday night and the end of the week. 

We have two storms to get through. The stronger of the two wet weather systems is coming at the beginning of the week. Then, a slower, weaker, colder system comes in toward the end of the week. 

NICE WEEKEND

Before we get there, we have a nice weekend to deal with. We won't have the bright sunshine we had yesterday. But it will be warmer, despite periods of clouds we'll see today. Highs should top 60 degrees in many towns, which is just slightly warmer than average for this time of year.

 Tomorrow, you'll feel the impending storm coming. South winds will increase, so will the clouds.  And the temperatures.  In the Champlain Valley, you'll see gusts go to 30 mph or a little more as temperatures soar to near or a little above 70 degrees. 

Current forecast for rainfall between Sunday night and
Tuesday morning. Some areas could get more than
an inch of rain. Some more rain might also hit
later in the week. This forecast is 
subject to change. 

We'll probably only get that warm a handful of times this year, and it's possible we won't see 70 again until next spring. So enjoy tomorrow!

The rain will come in by dawn Monday, and it looks like it will continue all day, or at least most of it.

As of this morning, the expected rainfall ranges from a half inch or so in the Northeast Kingdom, to three quarters of a inch in central Vermont and maybe an inch or a little more in the south.  

The wind and the rain will introduce most of us to stick season, if it hasn't already arrived where you are. 

Lingering leaves on the trees will get blown and washed off by the storm.  By Monday night, the only lingering fall color we'll see will be in parts of the Champlain Valley and warmer, deeper valleys near and south of Route 4. 

MORE RAIN? AND SNOW?

We'll get a break Tuesday, with only the risk of scattered showers. For a change, we won't have a blast of dry air to evaporate whatever moisture we receive, so that's good. 

Then, it looks like  a slow moving, upper level storm will come in from the west. This one won't exactly drown us, but it will provide us with damp, dreary, showery weather.  Early guesses are the second half of the week will bring us another quarter to half inch of rain. 

Colder too. It's looking more and more like Vermont has its first real shot at snow. Not everywhere. But if the forecast holds, you'll see white-topped mountains for the first time this year.