Sunday Evening Storm: Midwest Has Blizzards And Tornadoes, Vermont/New England Still Bracing For Ice

A view of the increasing clouds during the middle of
this afternoon over St. Albans, Vermont ahead of 
tonight's ice. If you look carefully at the horizon, it's
hazy. Pollutants were being trapped under the
inversion that will make the overnight
freezing rain possible. 

We still are on track for a spell of icy, dangerous driving weather here in Vermont, part of an intense storm that continues to raise havoc around the Great Lakes and Midwest.  

I  don't think I've seen a winter storm in the United States this powerful and wide ranging, with such a wide variety of weather and strong winds since December, 2022. 

I also think in New England, this might be arguably be the most extensive ice storm since 2008.

Here in Vermont, both the 2022 storm, which caused extensive wind damage in Vermont, was definitely worse than this will be, The 2008 ice storm mainly caused some problems in southern Vermont and really trashed central New England. 

The 2008 storm cut power to 30,000 homes and businesses in southern Vermont. We'll see how close we get to that tomorrow, but I'm so far convinced it won't be as bad as in 2008.

The general outlook for this storm here in Vermont hasn't changed much since this morning. Everybody is still in line to get a dose of freezing rain. 

The winter weather advisory is still in effect statewide. Except for most of eastern Vermont. There, the advisory has been upgraded to an ice storm warning. Some areas under that ice storm warning could get a half inch of ice accumulation. That's definitely enough for some trees, branches and power lines to fail.

The warning also states that travel will be nearly impossible during tomorrow morning's commute 

It still looks like the freezing rain will advance from the southwest during the first part of the night, arriving everywhere south and west of Interstate 89 by 11 p.m. or so. It'll spread into the rest of the state over the next couple of hours after that. 

East of the Green Mountains, the freezing rain will probably last well into Monday morning in most places. We're still looking at enough ice in some spots to weigh down tree and power lines enough to break them. 

I'd charge all your devices this evening and pop down to the store real quick if you need any more food or supplies to get you through tomorrow. Also, if possible, move your car from beneath any branches that might give way.

Above freezing temperatures might arrive in the Champlain Valley a wee bit earlier than predicted this morning. That might improve the morning commute there a bit. Again, we'll see.

But even if it's above freezing, pavement that hasn't been salted or sanded will still super icy.  The thin scrim of snow now on gravel roads will have been turned to ice by dawn and stay that way much of the morning. 

So it's no picnic in the Champlain Valley, either. 

It also still looks like almost everyone east of the Greens will have a brief interlude during the afternoon where it gets above freezing. That should melt at least some of the ice.   

The more ice that comes off the trees and power lines the better during that thawing, because winds will really pick up tomorrow night as temperatures plunge. Those winds could gust as high as 40 mph. This is a windy, big storm system after all. 

It'll be in the low teens, give or take, by Tuesday morning. Backside snowfall Monday night and Tuesday won't amount to much. Most valleys will have an inch or less, while the central and northern Green Mountains could pick up a few inches.

THE STORM ELSEWHERE 

As expected, blizzard conditions are raging in parts of Minnesota and are moving into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

A no travel advisory was in effect in much of western and southern Minnesota due to heavy snow and strong winds this afternoon. A blizzard warning is still in effect for parts of the state this evening. 

 Not far to the south and east, in Illinois and Indiana, the storm pulled oddly warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. Temperatures there reached the mid-60s to low 70s. Dewpoints were in the sticky low 60s, which is incredibly high for this time of year. 

The system's approaching strong cold front was slamming into the muggy air, setting off some pretty strong thunderstorms in Illinois and Indiana. A tornado watch was in effect in the two states late this afternoon. A few tornado warnings have also been issued for the area.

The same places in which tornadoes might have touched down will see temperatures in the teens by morning. Talk about a flip-flop!