Vermont Begins Slow Descent Out Of Humidity Hell. Also, Wild Storm Hits Part Of Champlain Valley Saturday

Storm clouds over Colchester, Vermont swirl as a severe
thunderstorm approached late Saturday afternoon,

We were expected some garden variety storms Saturday, but the one that struck the southern Champlain Islands and northwestern Chittenden County was anything but. Anyone who was in that storm had an exciting hour or so. 

The largely isolated severe storm blew up on approach from New York toward South Hero, Vermont. In South Hero, there were many branches and trees down, and hail reached the size of quarters and even half dollars. 

It must have been chaos at Sand Bar State Park.  A very warm, humid day that surely lured crowds to the beach was interrupted by the storm packing 62 mph winds at the park. The storm continued on into the Burlington metro area, with slightly less wind but with torrential, blinding rain. 

Burlington had 1.09 inches of rain in just an hour, quickly flooding streets in Burlington, South Burlington and Williston. The total rainfall of 1.22 inches in Burlington was a record for the date.

After Burlington, the storm broke up into numerous showers and storms that gave most of the northern half of Vermont a decent wetting. The exception was the most of the northern Champlain Valley. St. Albans just had a trace of rain in a brief sprinkle. 

Another severe storm caused a lot of damage in western Massachusetts, including a partial building collapse in Springfield, Massachusetts that displaced 46 people. 

After that storminess, Vermont will gradually descend out of the intense humidity that has plagued us for the past three days.

TODAY

Williston Road in South Burlington flooded after 
Saturday's severe storm. Moments after this
photo was taken, police closed the road.

We're starting the day almost as humid as it's been for the past few days. The humidity will continue to go down slightly, so by afternoon, it won't exactly be comfortable, but still noticeably better than yesterday. 

Early this morning, we still had some clouds and widely scattered sprinkles around, but it should largely clear up by afternoon. 

There's a little wildfire smoke in the atmosphere - we'll have to get used to that as the western U.S. continues to burn - but the smoke won't be enough to block the sun or cause a lot of health issues. 

MONDAY

Dawn will break Monday with air more comfortable than we've seen in days. Still mild, with a low within a few degrees either side of 60 degrees.

It will turn somewhat more humid again, but not as bad as yesterday. Another cold front is coming, and clouds will increase. Showers and storms will start to creep in during the afternoon. Scattered stuff, hit or miss. Some of us will stay dry during the day. 

We'll have quite a few showers and rumbles of thunder around Monday night. They won't amount to much. Most of us will see a quarter inch of rain or less.

TUESDAY

Probably a nice day. Sunshine, somewhat less humid air will help.  Highs should reach 80 degrees, or maybe low to mid 80s in the warmer valleys. 

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY

The next cold front in our gradual cool down and humidity flushing will approach.  Wednesday might temporarily be a little more humid than Tuesday, but not anywhere nearly as bad as we just endured. This will be a quick moving system, so the rain Wednesday night and Thursday again won't be particularly heavy. 

FRIDAY/SUNDAY

Cool weather! Quick moving, weak weather disturbances will keep light showers chances going. But the sun will be out during at least part of the days will be sunny. And it won't be humid! Highs will only be in the 70s and lows will drop into the 50s.  

One More Really Hot Day In Vermont, Then It Gets (Slightly) Better

National Weather Service heat risk map for today 
calls for another day of severe to extreme heat in 
the eastern U.S. Purple shading is the most intense het.

The overnight low early this morning in Burlington, Vermont was 76 degrees, so there wasn't much overnight relief from the heat. 

No relief is forthcoming today, though there is at least a dim light at the end of the heat tunnel More on that in a bit. 

THE HEAT SO FAR

A tiny saving grace is the heat hasn't been quite as intense as expected in Vermont, with daily highs running a couple degrees lower than forecasts for the past couple of days. 

That's a contrast to pretty much everywhere in the eastern United States, where the heat has lived up to advance billing.    Yesterday, in Frederick, Maryland,  where I was visiting, I experienced the hottest weather I've ever been in, with a reading of 102 degrees.

In New York City, Central Park reached 100 degrees Friday, the first time it's gotten that hot since July 18. 2012, when it was also 100. Washington DC reached a record high of 102 degrees Friday. The same high temperature of 102 is predicted in Washington today and tomorrow, making Fourth of July celebrations downright dangerous. 

Here in Vermont, it reached 96 in Burlington Friday, short of the predicted peak of 100 degrees.

Montpelier reached 90, hot enough to tie the record high for the date.

So this heat wave hasn't turned out to be the historic Vermont heat wave some of us expected.  It's still hot and very humid. Dangerously so. That Vermont has been falling slightly short of predicted high temperatures doesn't reduce the risk.  The longer a heat wave goes on, the worse it is on the human body. We're on day three today, so those that are vulnerable to the heat are having their worst day yet.

Today is a perfect day to kidnap your elderly or ill neighbors and take them to a cool place. 

Thunderstorms have been harassing Vermonters, too. Friday wasn't as wild as Thursday. But some pretty good, non-severe thunderstorms blew through parts of central Vermont in the evening. The National Weather Service in South Burlington also issued a special weather statement for  a strong storm that clipped the Northeast Kingdom, but that storm quickly dissipated.

Let's get into the specifics of what's coming next. 

TODAY:

It will be almost as hot as yesterday. It really won't feel any different than yesterday. Most of the state will be in the low 90s, with mid 90s for highs in the Banana Belt hot valleys. 

Once again, because of the heat and the humidity, thunderstorms are a risk. I don't think they'll be particularly widespread or severe. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has the best chance of strong storms being south and west of Interstate 89 today. In that location there's a marginal, (level one out of five risk)  for storms today. 

More storms and showers should be scattered about tonight ahead of a super weak cold front heading toward us. It will still be a horribly stuffy night.

SATURDAY

Some relief begins. The risk of showers and storms diminishes to nothing north during the morning, and that trend will drift southward during the day. More importantly, you'll start to notice a change in the air during the afternoon and evening. Especially north. It won't turn much less humid, but it will feel a little better. 

Dew points, a measure of how humid it feels out there. will start out near 70 in the morning, which is terribly steamy. By evening, the dew point will be in the OK but not great low 60s.

SUNDAY

The dew points will continue to drift a little lower by Saturday night and Sunday.  That means dawn will break Sunday with temperatures within a few degrees either side of 60, which will feel much better. 

Sunday should be a classic Vermont summer day, much like last Sunday was. That means highs in the 80s, a little warmer than average. Humidity will be reasonable. 

NEXT WEEK

Monday morning will start off cool and dry, with lows in the 50s to near 60, so pretty nice. The warmth and the humidity will creep up again. Some sort of disturbance looks like it will pass  through on Monday. Early indications suggest some heavy rain might fall on southern Vermont with much lighter stuff up north. 

It's an iffy little system, though, so we'll probable be some adjustments to the forecast.

Tuesday and Wednesday, and probably Thursday  turn really warm and humid again, but not as bad as today. Still, warmer spots could touch 90 again midweek.