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| Storm clouds gather over St. Albans, Vermont late Sunday afternoon. While no hail fell here, thunderstorms produced a lot of small hail in some Vermont towns. This week brings sunshine and warmer air. |
That was yesterday, of course. Despite a brief burst of sunshine in many areas, especially north, highs were only in the 60s, which was still below normal for this time of year. Southern areas stayed cloudy much of the day.
That afternoon break in the clouds allowed thunderstorms to develop in Quebec and the head south into Vermont in the late afternoon and evening.
Although the thunderstorms weren't really severe, the very cold air aloft made it easy for the storms to form hail. That hail came down pretty hard in a few spots, whitening the ground.
And in some places the hail was fairly big, all things considered. Near Richford, the hail had a half inch diameter, which is more or less the size of a dime. Several other towns reported the ground covered by pea sized hail.
RETURN TO SUMMER
A big flip flop has started in the atmosphere overhead. Perfect timing as we flip the calendar to the summer month of June.
A big southward dip in the jet stream in the eastern U.S, made the past few days frustrating to at least some of us. The air stayed cool. Showers always seemed to threaten and it even snows on many of northern New England mountain peaks Friday night and Saturday morning.
The past few days have contributed to a May that turned out on the cool side. I'll have a good summary of the interesting weather month of May, 2026 hopefully later today
Those days are gone. Or at least going. A big northward bulge in the jet stream wants to develop over us. That's coming quicker than we originally thought. A few days ago, we thought most of this week would be cool and unsettled.
But nope! The weather gods are smiling upon Vermont again, fingers crossed. Warm high pressure will become established nearby as a result. It won't exactly be record warmth, u,t you'll definitely notice the changes. And by later in the week, you mind well find yourself out in the garden with a hose, soaking thirsty plants.
Here are the details:
Today
We're beginning the process of warming up today, but it won't exactly feel like full on summer. Under at least partly sunny skies, we should flirt with 70 degrees in the warmer valleys and 60s elsewhere. That's still a little on the cool side, believe it or not. The forecast high in Burlington today is 71, compared to a normal of 74 degrees.
Fog from early this morning should either be burning off or gone by the time you read this. There should be some afternoon clouds, mainly over the north and mountains. but even those areas should have some sun.
We might even find an isolated sprinkle coming out of one or two of those clouds, but nobody will get soaked. Wider valleys will be sunnier.
Tonight will be quite cool for early June, but not insanely so. Lows should be in the low 40s most places. Maybe in the mid 40s Champlain Valley and mid to upper 30s in the usual cold spots. The coldest hollows of the Northeast Kingdom might have a little frost, but the vast majority of us should be fine.
Tuesday:
A winner of a day. Mostly sunny, with highs in the low 70s. 'Nuff said.
Wednesday
Another stellar day. Hey, we deserve 'em after what we endured over the past few days. OK, "endured" is a really strong word for the mildly unpleasant moments in the weather in recent days, but you know what I mean.
Here's where it begins to feel like summer. Many of the warmer valleys should touch 80 degrees if the forecast holds. The high sun angle will make it feel pretty toasty out, but the humidity should still be low.
Thursday.
It actually gets kind of hot by later in the week if the forecast is right. Vermont valleys should make it into the mid and upper 80s for the afternoon.
Friday/Next Weekend
Some cold fronts and other weather disturbances should get close to Vermont by then. It's too early to tease out when the showers hit, how big they'll be or how long they would last. But those potential cold fronts don't look like they will be powerhouses, so there's little chance we'll freeze our butts off again when then come through.
At worst, they'll probably just bring near normal temperatures. Which for this time of year is 70s for highs.
