Weird Temperatures A Nationwide Thing Today, Also Update On Our Snowstorm

We're still on track in Vermont for a decent sized snowfall
on Friday. Current forecasts from the National Weather
Service in South Burlington have all of the state receiving
at least six inches of snow, with some southern
Vermont spots getting up to a foot of it. 

 Today turned out to be one of those days in which temperatures were all over the place across the nation. 

Different parts of the United States often have record high and record low temperatures on the same date. 

The contrast between the Northwest and the Northeast today were pretty impressive, though. The changes going on in some places are pretty wild, too. 

We saw that here in Vermont, where, as forecast,   the weather here   is completely different late this afternoon as it was this morning.   

For example, we can start with the tale of two Portlands. 

Normally mild Portland, Oregon was 26 degrees this morning, which was just two degrees shy of the record low for the date. Meanwhile, in Portland, Maine, usually home to much more rugged weather, the record high today was 66 degrees, smashing the old record of 61 degrees and coming within two degrees of the all time record high for the month of February. 

Hartford, Connecticut, had a record high of 70 degrees today but was simultaneously under a winter storm watch for Friday.  Boston also reached 70 degrees. 

The cold in the United States encompasses a far larger area than today's fleeting heat in the Northeast. This is probably the most impressive cold wave this entire winter.  

The cold extends from California to Colorado to the Upper Midwest.  Alerts have been upgraded to a hard freeze warning in California's Central Valley, where record lows are expected tonight and tomorrow night. 

In usually temperate places like Santa Rosa, California, officials have set up warming shelters because of the frigid weather. Frost and freeze warnings extend into the San Francisco Bay area, which is also expecting record low temperatures. 

Up in Washington State, record lows today included 23 degrees in Seattle and 14 in Olympia. Denver, Colorado reached a record low of 7 below.

The worst weather with this cold outbreak today was in northern Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.  Thundersnow storms roamed around Oklahoma as temperatures this afternoon held in the teens. Normal highs there this time of year are in the mid-50s. 

In Arkansas, heavy sleet and freezing rain was also accompanied by thunder. The freezing rain will continue into Thursday, which promises lots of damage to trees and power lines. 

This is the the same storm that is going to give us our snowstorm here in Vermont Friday.

VERMONT SET UP

Temperatures, as expected, crashed in the Green Mountain State today.  Here in St. Albans, it was in the mid-50s at 8 a.m. but back below freezing by 12:45 p.m. It took longer to get cold in the rest of Vermont.  Burlington finally dipped below freezing after 4 p.m. Montpelier dropped from the low 50s at 1 p.m. to the 30s at 2 p.m.. 

Flurries have been ongoing here and in much of northern Vermont all afternoon, and we now have a dusting of replacement snow.  We're still on track to receive a bunch more replacement snow. 

It'll stay cold tonight and tomorrow, so all the mud out there will freeze back up. 

While the entire state remains under a winter storm watch, there's only been subtle trends so far in the overall forecast for the storm. The National Weather Service in South Burlington has detected a slight northward trend in the computer guidance for this storm, so that would increase the already good chances that areas of Vermont north of Route 2 will still get a decent amount of snow. That would probably be in the 6 to 9 inch range, which is fine.

Southern Vermont still looks like the winner, especially along the south and east facing slopes, which could clock in with a foot. 

The National Weather Service says we might have to be a bit patient with this storm as it starts. Snowfall during a good portion of Friday morning might be pretty light and wimpy. Then, during the day, especially from late morning to late afternoon,the snow would really come down, if current forecasts hold.

That would mean an inch an hour, so six inches or more could pile up pretty quickly. Speaking of quick the storm is a fast mover, so the snow will quickly taper off Friday night. 

 

A Wild Daffodil Destroyer Storm Today/Tonight Northern New York/Northern New England

Green grass and an abundance of daffodils surrounded my
garden shed in St. Albans, Vermont Tuesday. Incoming
daffodil-destroying storm will unfortunately 
change this scene for the worse over the next 24 hours.

I picked some daffodils from my gardens in St. Albans, Vermont last evening for an indoor flower arrangement. 

I did so because I suspect the dozens and dozens of daffodils blooming outside my house will be dead by tomorrow morning, I'm afraid.  

A daffodil destroying winter storm is set to pounce. 

Here in Vermont, we can expect some accumulating snow today and tonight, accompanied by a harsh freeze overnight and Thursday morning. Light snow had already started here in St. Albans as of 6 a.m. 

So much for spring. 

I'll get more into Vermont's wintry outlook in just a bit. But I have to say how chillingly impressed I am by the wintry weather extending across most of the nation east of the Rockies. The early spring this area has had so far has come to a screeching halt. 

 A swath of snow yesterday extended from Oklahoma through the Midwest and Mid-South.  Kansas City, Missouri collected 3.5 inches of snow Tuesday. Flurries dusted parts of Oklahoma. Paducah, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana had their latest snowfalls on record Tuesday, though there might have been earlier snows before records started being kept there in the 1930s.

Freeze warnings continue to extend across a vast part of the country from most of the southern and central Plains all the way east to places like North Carolina and New Jersey. Snow will continue in parts of the Midwest, New York, northern New England and a good chunk of Ontario and Quebec. 

The dynamic storm and cold front are causing quite a contrast in conditions in the Northeast today. While northern and western Vermont and northern New York deal with snow, temperatures ahead of the storm's cold front will climb to near 70 in southeastern New England. 

The strength of the storm and this temperature contrast will help trigger some severe thunderstorms this afternoon from coastal Virginia to western Massachusetts.  A marginal risk of severe storms even extends as far north as the southern third of Vermont and the southern half of New Hampshire.  

VERMONT IMPACTS

As noted, rain and snow had already developed across much of Vermont and eastern New York early this morning. Winter weather advisories (sigh) are up for much of northern New York and northern Vermont north of Route 15 and away from Lake Champlain. 

However, many parts of Vermont outside the winter weather advisory will see accumulating, flower stomping snow and cold with this storm.  

The dreaded National Weather Service/South Burlington
snow forecast map is back today. Areas in dark blue
can expect at least three inches of new snow by
tomorrow. Yellow areas should see more like
six inches or more.

It'll snow most of the day in the Adirondacks.  In Vermont, it will be warm enough for a mix of rain and snow for this morning,  with all rain of course in southern parts of the state.

This afternoon and evening, the storm's powerful cold front will come in with a burst of heavier snow, especially in northern Vermont. 

It'll likely snow hard enough, even in the Champlain Valley, to perhaps mess with the roads for your late afternoon and evening commute.

If you already took your snow tires off, it sucks for you. Be careful on those roads later today and tonight. 

It looks like one to four inches of snow will accumulate in northern and central Vermont valleys through tonight.  This includes the Champlain Valley, especially north of Burlington. 

Places in the winter weather advisory in Vermont can expect three to six inches of new snow, says the National Weather Service in South Burlington. 

Higher mountains, where last Friday's snow hasn't entirely melted yet, can easily expect six inches to perhaps a foot of new snow through Thursday, especially along the peaks from about Killington north.

Temperatures by Thursday morning will be between 25 and 30 degrees with the snow and strong winds.  A few places will be even colder than that. 

It'll be interesting to see what early outdoor plants survive and which won't. The snow will crush the daffodils, no doubt, which is why I'm calling this storm the destroyer.  A few might survive, so I'll just have to assess, at least in my yard, once it warms up.

Lilacs, with flowers already budding, might not survive either in the anticipated cold, which is really sad. Brilliant white blooming magnolia trees will be a brown mess by tomorrow. 

In most of the area, apple trees in and around Vermont are budding, but mostly not yet blooming, so the apple crop might just hang in there, fingers crossed. Will the early green leaves on some trees survive, or just turn to black, wilted wreckage?  I guess we'll find out tomorrow. 

The snow will go over to snow showers later tonight, and continue all day Thursday under harsh northwest winds.  Temperatures will stay under 40 degrees in most valleys with winds gusting to 35 mph, so wind chills will be an issue. 

With lighter snow showers, possibly mixed with rain drops, valleys won't see any additional snow accumulation to speak of.  Northern mountains will be in the snow all day and will keep piling it up. 

At least the cold snap won't last all that long.  It'll be cold, but not quite as cold Thursday night and Friday morning, so I don't anticipate additional damage to spring greenery.  Friday will be blustery, but at least we have a shot at breaking 50 degrees in the afternoon.

Saturday actually looks pleasant before the next storm comes along Sunday.  Earlier this week, I had feared a cold shot Sunday night and Monday even worse than the one that's just starting.

Happily, I was wrong! It does look damp and rainy and chilly Sunday, but it won't snow.  It'll be cooler than normal Sunday night and Monday, but nothing horrific, with either a very light freeze or more likely no freeze at all at night. 

Signs point to warmer weather next week.  Not only for us, but most of the rest of the shivering nation as well.