If Things Work Out, We Could Actually Have A Rather Rainy Week In Vermont. We need It.

Somewhat ominous skies greeted early risers over St.
Albans, Vermont this morning. If forecasts are correct.
we could have a week of badly needed off and on
rain over the next several days. 

We got through another gorgeous Saturday in Vermont, with our blue skies and a few puffy clouds in the skies. I savored the gorgeous end of August weather. 

The signs of autumn keep hitting though. This time of year, some of the leaves on the trees are looking tired and ragged after a long summer of insects, wind, dry spells and hot days. 

Also, with a high temperature of 77 degrees and a low of 50, the average temperature in Burlington Saturday was 63.5 making it coolest day since June 7.

As nice as Saturday was, we could use the rain and the National Weather Service is offering hope for a potentially wet week across Vermont. 

The NWS office in South Burlington has at least a chance of showers each day today through next Saturday, except maybe tomorrow.

 It's unclear how much rain we'll actually get. We could use a lot of rain, and we might get that. Then again, at least parts of Vermont might not get all that much. It all depends on the path of several weather disturbances this week zipping northwest to southeast across New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.

Current forecasts give a half inch to an inch of rain today through Wednesday morning across most of the Green Mountain State, with more coming after that. NOAA has Vermont receiving one to two inches of rain over the next seven days. 

Those predictions often shift dramatically, so we can't guarantee we'll actually get that much rain. 

If this forecast plays out, it could blunt a developing drought in  northern Vermont and give a much needed rain in southern Vermont, which is still drought-free, for now. 

Let's get into the detailed forecast like we do almost every day. 

TODAY

A  few showers have already skittered across northern Vermont this morning and more is on the way. I don't think today will be as decent a day as first thought especially in northern Vermont. There's a chance of showers almost everywhere in Vermont. Showers and maybe a rumble or two of thunder are more likely in northern Vermont. 

The forecast for today has become a little more dismal because moisture in the atmosphere all the way from the Pacific Ocean has made it to an area just south of an approaching cold front in Quebec.  Highs today will reach the 70s.

Not everybody in the north will get wet, but many areas will. The showers will taper off after sunset as the cold front slips quietly south through Vermont. 

MONDAY

The front should sag south and west of Vermont and oriented in a northwest to southeast orientation. The front should still be far enough south and west so that we should be out of the rain. The sun should come out, especially in central and northern Vermont. We should see highs in the 70s again. 

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY

The front to out south and west will mark the battle line between coolish air in Quebec and horribly humid and very warm air in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic States. The cool-ish air should win out here in Vermont, though it won't exactly be cold. Daily highs should be in the 70s, close to normal for this time of year.

The front will slowly approach Vermont. Nobody is really sure how fast it will come at us. Meanwhile, disturbances will ride northwest to southeast along the front, carrying batches of rain on the north side of the front, and thunderstorms to the south. 

The position of the front will dictate where and when it rains in Vermont and how much. It's too soon to pick out exactly how this will play out. However, so far at least, it looks like the front will stay near or southwest of Vermont. 

That means potential severe thunderstorms should stay mostly in the Ohio Valley and in the Mid-Atlantic states.

THURSDAY AND BEYOND

Another front from the west should begin to sweep everything to the east. As it does so, we'll probably keep up with the rain and showers. 

I'm not sure how fast this thing will clear Vermont, so showers could continue Friday and maybe into Saturday.