Windy Warmth This Morning To Turn Into Frigid Sunday/Monday Chill Across Vermont

A mount of snow partly obscures the view out of my home
office window in St. Albans, Vermont. I hoping
some thawing later next week restores the full view

So far, the forecast is holding up for one more shot of Arctic air blasting into Vermont, but - at least in the warmer zones - this could be the last spell of below zero weather until next winter. 

I hope the above sentence doesn't jinx things.

As expected, it's mild and windy out there, especially in the Champlain Valley. There, temperatures and peak wind gusts give you roughly the same numbers. The temperatures are near 40, and so are the maximum gusts. 

Some towns in eastern Vermont were still in the teens to lower 20s as of 7 a.m., as those warm southerly winds hadn't been able to reach into those valleys yet. But don't worry,  those of you in the Connecticut River Valley will see some brief thawing today as temperatures rocket upward. Briefly. 

Temperatures should stay in that low 40s range until early afternoon north when that Arctic cold front comes through. Southern Vermont will wait a little longer for the front, so they might actually peak in the early to mid-afternoon as our Arctic front comes on through.

A few light raindrops or snowflakes might get squeezed out of this front, but there won't be much. I'm seeing a band of light rain in New York State this morning with this front, but the air in Vermont is pretty dry, so that'll evaporate a lot of that precipitation. 

LITTLE SNOW/LOTS OF COLD

We're still looking at a patch of light snow racing eastward across New England tomorrow morning. The forecast is still a little shaky with this, as different computer  models have slightly different ideas on how much much and where. We do know the snowfall will be light. 

As of this morning, forecasters are going for one to 2.5 inches in southern and central Vermont. That amount should also hit areas slammed by this week's blizzard in southern New England.  I'm sure residents there are thrilled. 

Northern Vermont should only expect an inch or less. I'll note this forecast might change a bit by later today.

We're much more confident that snow will clear out to reveal a frigid Sunday afternoon for this time of year with temperatures not climbing out of the teens in many areas. As winds die down in the evening, we're set up for perfect conditions for a frigid night. 

Light winds, clear skies and a snow cover, plus that Arctic air ensure all of us in Vermont should be below zero by dawn's early light Monday morning.  Some places will be in the teens below zero. Monday should be bright and cold with highs in the teens and low 20s. Frigid, yes, but the strong early March sun should make it feel a little better.

I guess we can say March is coming in like a lion this year. 

WARMUP

The weather pattern is definitely changing toward a warmer one after we get through our two-day Arctic blast.  That doesn't mean we get a reprieve from wintry weather, but at least we'll have some thawing temperatures thrown in at times, and the maple sugarers can start their season in earnest.

It looks like we'll get a little snow later Tuesday and Tuesday night, but it's too early to talk accumulation just yet. 

Another system looks like it might throw some mixed precipitation at us toward the end of the week. But that mix at this point looks like it might trend toward rain as temperatures hit the 40s. At least hopefully! 

March starts tomorrow, so now it will keep getting harder and harder for temperatures to stay below freezing. The weather over the next couple of days will be harsh, but the worst of winter is over.