It Rained Rocks In Hawaii

Tephra or light weight volcanic rock and ash,
covers this car in Hawaii after a Kilauea 
eruption sent debris into populated areas.

 OK, this isn't really a weather or climate story, but close enough. It involves rain, but not the type of rain made up of water, frozen or otherwise. 

This rain, in Hawaii, was rocks. 

The uber-active Kilauea erupted again last Saturday, pushing fountains of lava 1,000 feet into the air. 

But what goes up must come down. And people around the park ended up enduring a tephra storm. 

Tephra is rocks and ash ejected from a volcano. Kilauea regularly discharges both lava and tephra, but the material usually lands on areas that are too dangerous for people. Saturday, unusually light winds made the tephra fall in populated areas near the volcano.

The debris fell on summit overlooks, trails, roads and even some residential areas. A section of Route 11 was closed. 

According to Hawaii News Now

'Some debris close to the size of a grapefruit was reported in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including at Uekahuna, the Steam Vents, Volcano House and Keanakako'i, where the rocks were reported to be still hot when they fell.

'I haven't seen this one yet. This is uncharted territory for the Volcano Village,' said Eli Schonbrod, general manager for the Lanikai Brewing Company. 

Colleen Gifford, a cashier at the Kilauea General Store, has lived on Hawaii Island for 40 years, and she she has 'never, ever seen it like this.'"

Some very small tephra - basically bits of ash - was spotted as far away as Hilo, more than 25 miles away. 

Video showed what looked like a black hailstorm, thunking down on car roofs, and littering roadways, parking lots, lawn and roofs with what looked like millions of pieces of crumbled black paper.

Tephra is more light weight than rocks, so it wasn't smashing cars and roofs. It was kind of remotely a storm of falling Brillo pads. But tepha can be sharp, pointy enough to scratch paint. A few people who were out in the tephra storm were scratched enough to bleed slightly. 

Of course, the tephra made a big mess. The day after the eruption, people were seen sweeping and shoveling piles of it away. Plows had to clear one section of a road as if there were a tropical snowstorm. Many roofs remained littered with the stuff. It'll probably come down from the roofs the next time it gets windy or it rains. 

Although more Kilauea eruptions are inevitable, the tephra is unlikely to be a problem again. Almost always, trade winds veer this stuff away from people, as mentioned. This was basically just a one-off. 

Videos

News report of what it all looked and sounded like. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that.

Cleanup from the eruption looked like it was quite a chore. Again, click on this link or if you see the image below, click on that. 

 

 

Strong/Severe Storms, Flood Risk, High Humidity, And Eventually, Heat Spices Up Vermont Forecast

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has much of the eastern
U.S. including all of Vermont in a slight risk zone
(yellow shading) for severe storms Thursday. 

The weather here in Vermont is going to be more interesting than usual for this time of year over the next few days. 

The word "interesting" when describing weather forecasts is seldom welcome, as that usually spells trouble. And sure enough, the weather might complicate your life over the next few days.  

We have high humidity, the risk of strong to severe thunderstorms, a bit of a flash flood risk (again!), and eventually some dangerous summer heat. 

Tomorrow and next Monday and Tuesday are the biggest high alert days.. But, as we usually do, let's walk you through day by day, as every day for at least the next six has something noteworthy to offer us. 

TODAY

The humid air has arrived on schedule. You might have noticed your bedroom getting a bit stuffy overnight. 

The high humidity, combined with expected high temperatures in the low to mid 80s, should be enough to set off some showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

They could happen anywhere. There's were already a batch of showers passing through far southern Vermont early this morning. But the storms are most likely this afternoon and early evening in the northwestern third of Vermont and over northern New York.

Few, if any of these storms will get exceptionally strong or severe. But one or two of these storms could provide some gusty winds and heavy downpours. The forward motion of these storms will be kinda lame, so a couple spots in northwestern Vermont could really get dumped on.  

There's no risk of widespread flash flooding or anything like that, but those one or two spots, especially north of Route 2 and west of the Green Mountain, might (or might not!)  have a little problem with driveway and back road washouts, that kind of thing. 

Some places will avoid rain altogether today. Classic hit and miss. 

THURSDAY

This is a higher risk day. The high humidity will still be in place. Sunshine in the morning and early afternoon should boost temperatures into the mid or even upper 80s. A cold front will be approaching to make the air more unstable.

Winds aloft will become stronger, and change directions with height. Those are all ingredients to set off severe thunderstorms. 

For now, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has all of Vermont under a slight risk of severe storms on Thursday. That's a level two out of five on the danger scale. It means there should be some scattered severe thunderstorms. 

As is almost always the case with this type of summer storm situation, only a small minority of us Vermonters will experience a severe storm.  Most of us will get at least some rain and hear thunder, and many of us should get at least a brief downpour.

It's just those few spots that will get nailed. It's impossible to tell more than a half hour to an hour in advance who gets the most dangerous storms. So you'll need to have a weather radio or some other source ready tomorrow to get warnings and advisories.

I'd also skip boating around Lake Champlain or hiking to the summits Thursday afternoon. 

The storms tomorrow will come at us either as relatively short lines of big storms or supercells. The biggest threat is from damaging straight line winds.  Large hail is pretty unlikely, but still possible. There's also a very low, but not zero chance of a brief spin up tornado mixed in there.

The other threat is flash flooding. Any flooding we do get - if we get any -  will be pretty isolated. Most places should be fine. 

However, the rain will be absolutely torrential in some of Thursday's  storms. Luckily, the storms will be moving right along, so they won't linger over one spot for too long to really flood things out. But if you get squarely hit by a big supercell, or microburst; or if two or more lines of storms hit you in rapid succession, there could be a local flash flood problem or too. 

The bottom line is NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has us in a low level marginal risk zone for localized flash floods 

FRIDAY

We get a break in the action. It'll be somewhat cooler and less humid since the cold front will have gone through.  There could be some lingering showers or garden variety thunderstorms scattered around here or there in the afternoon, especially north, but nothing scary. 

SATURDAY

There's an odd bit of uncertainty in Saturday's forecast.  The strong ridge of high pressure will be beginning to build toward us. That's what will set us up for next week's heat. 

We have to watch out for something called a ridge roller Saturday or Saturday night.. These are clusters of thunderstorms that rotate around the northern edge of a developing ridge of hot high pressure. They'd come in from the Midwest and then head southeastward, possibly in this case through northern New York and northern New England.

These things are super hard to predict three days in advance. Computer models are pretty insistent there will be a "ridge roller" but we don't know where it will go. Maybe through us, maybe across Quebec, maybe to our southwest toward western New York and Pennsylvania. Or maybe it won't happen at all. 

Ridge rollers can be pretty benign, and almost unnoticeable, or they could contain severe thunderstorms and flash floods.  This is just something to keep an eye on.  We'll monitor later forecasts.

SUNDAY

You'll start to notice the heat and humidity building up. It'll be a decent beach day, with a fair amount of sun and highs well into the 80s. Hottest spots could flirt with 90. 

MONDAY AND TUESDAY

Looking hot, with a very good chance of temperatures going over 90 degrees in many spots in Vermont. The humidity will be sky high.  Since this will start on Sunday, we'll have three days of this kind of weather. Which can wear on people after awhile and become dangerous. Especially for the elderly and people with health problems. 

The humidity will ensure that nights will stay very warm and muggy, so you won't get any relief after dark.  If there are people in your life who you worry about in this kind of weather,  it would be a good idea to check up on them early next week. Or better yet, "kidnap" them and take them to a chilly movie matinee, a nice cool air conditioned restaurant or shopping center or something. 

BEYOND TUESDAY

It looks like a cold front will cool things down somewhat by Wednesday. It will be no means get "cold" after the cold front, but it should at least feel more reasonable out there. 

Relentless Heat, Humidity To Make Vermont Flood Cleanup Difficult, Storm Chances For Added Nerves Wave

Williams Hill Road in Richmond is one of at least
hundreds of local roads in Vermont that need
to be repaired after this week's floods. Hot, humid
weather will slow recovery efforts. 

UPDATE: 1:15 PM

Am nervously watching scattered thunderstorms early this afternoon.

The Storm Prediction Center has introduced a marginal risk of severe storms over us, which means an isolated one or two could cause damaging winds in small areas.

Of course, I'm more nervous about renewed flash flooding. We definitely won't see anything as widespread as Wednesday night. Not even close.

But I'm watching some storms head toward the worst of the flood zones carrying torrential downpours.

Some of these might cause more damage in small areas or undo repairs made just in the past couple of days to some roads. Since soils are saturated, brooks are running high and culverts are compromised, I wouldn't be surprised to see parts of a couple towns take a hit this afternoon.

Trouble is, there's no telling which ones until the storms hit. So, keep an eye to the sky today just in case. 

The chances of this happening have increased since this morning, as thunderstorms are proving more numerous than first thought. 

Today's storms should diminish and disappear this evening.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION

We get spells of humid weather with torrential thunderstorms here in Vermont every summer but this is ridiculous. 

Not only have we endure yet another apocalyptic flood here in Vermont, the heat and especially the humidity have been relentless. 

And will continue to be at least through Wednesday.  To make us all nervous, there are chances of storms nearly every day until then, and those associated downpours could be locally heavy. Which would make anyone nervous after all we've been through this week. 

Because I don't want to induce panic, any new flood problems created by added thunderstorms would be pretty isolated and definitely not nearly as widespread as what we experienced Wednesday night and Thursday.

HEAT PERSISTS 

 We've already had nine days this year in Burlington that made it to at least 90 degrees, include four this month. There's a decent chance we could do three more Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as the heat intensifies here and up and down the East Coast over the next few days.  

Nights have offered no real relief. 

Since July 4, the temperature in Burlington has not fallen below 67 degrees. It probably won't get any colder than that  until Wednesday night. Over in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Friday was the seventh consecutive day they made it to 90. If it gets to 90 today, they'll tie the record there for longest heat wave.  

All this is bad enough in normal times. During emergencies, like Vermont is experiencing now, it's downright dangerous. 

Everybody wants to help their neighbors. Mucking out damaged homes and businesses, clearing debris and repairing roads, bridges and driveways is really hard work when it's nice and cool out. In this weather, you have to be careful, despite your enthusiasm for lending a hand. 

Volunteers are bringing tons of drinking water to disaster sites.  If you are working there, take full advantage. Take as much water as you want or need. Don't be shy. Your body needs it. If the water starts to run out, I'm sure people will bring more right away. 

Bonus if the volunteers bring stuff to fix your electrolytes too, like Gatorade or Pedialyte. 

It's also OK to take breaks. In fact, you must.  The flooding has already tragically claimed two Vermont lives. Don't let the cleanup add more to this. Heat is the most deadly type of weather in the U.S. 

I'm not discouraging anybody from helping out. I'm just saying be smart about it. 

Each day today through Tuesday will be at least 85 in most places. Some spots will be 90 or a little more, depending on if you're in the valley and the placement and timing of those ever-present humidity-driven showers and thunderstorms. 

Also, unfortunately, it's not a good idea to cool off in the rivers and streams affected by the flooding. Familiar swimming holes are not so, anymore, as many have been rearranged, or filled in with rocks and debris. There might well be lingering contaminants from the flooding as well.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer here. It is what it is, though. 

By the way, the heat isn't just here. The West has been baking in record breaking heat for a week now. The eastern United States from the Gulf Coast to Maine will now be treated by this oppressive weather as well.

Record highs might be set in the South and Mid-Atlantic this week, as highs could reach 100 degrees as far north as Philadelphia

STORM THREAT 

Anytime it's hot and humid, there's a storm threat, with the potential for torrential downpours. 

Such is the case with this hot spell. The storms will be hit and miss, and are most likely in the afternoon and evening, which is the usual case.

Many of us will get no rain at all today, and almost everybody that does see rain will receive manageable amounts, with no added damage worries. But I think it's possible that a couple places might be bullseye by torrential downpours that could dump an inch of rain in a short time. 

That's not enough to cause local flooding on the scale we just had. But it is enough to undo some of the repair work to roads and driveways and such.  Again, these would just be isolated instances. Still, it would be disheartening to see that happen, especially if any of these torrential storms hit our hardest hit communities like Plainfield, Barnet, Barre, Lyndon and others.  

On Sunday, high pressure will dominate, so if any storms manage to pop up, which is iffy, they'd be brief, isolated and won't last long.  It'll just be hot.

A weak disturbance Monday could trigger a few widely scattered storms. They might become more numerous Tuesday and Wednesday as some cold fronts approach.

SWEET RELIEF

Those approaching cold fronts might be something we'll all appreciate. Signs are growing that we'll have at least a couple days of cooler, far less humid and more importantly, very dry weather toward Thursday and Friday.

During this hoped-for episode, dew points and nighttime temperatures could fall into the wonderful 50s. Daytime highs would stay in the 70s to around 80, but the air will feel fresh, not heavy.  

I don't know how long that great weather will last in what has been a hot, humid, stormy summer, but we'll take anything we can get at this point. 

Life-Threatening Floods Loom In Vermont/Northeast Later Today Through Monday

National Weather Service forecast of rainfall through
8 a.m. Tuesday. This is subject to change. Also, this 
map doesn't pick up potential pockets of 5 to 6
inches of rain in this event. 

I'm very worried, frankly.

All the ingredients are coming together for a Vermont flood that could well be the worst since Irene in 2011.  Take this one very seriously. 

Overall, we're expecting two to four inches of rain, with local amounts five inches or higher, pretty much statewide. This is falling on saturated soil, with some areas already  having seen flash flooding. 

 This won't be the local flash floods that have been pestering us for days and causing damage. This could well be a memorable, dangerous statewide event.  

The National Weather Service office in South Burlington wasn't mincing words in their forecast discussion Sunday morning:

"Sections of Vermont and northern New York are under risk for flash flooding on scale that has not been seen in many years. Almost every plausible impact is on the table, from urban flash flooding, excessive run-off contributing to sharp river rises and flooding across small creeks and even across main stem rivers. Washouts, damage to culverts and potential mudslides in steep terrain are likely."

Such hair on fire language is rare from the National Weather Service, so when you see them doing that, it's really time to get nervous. 

Meanwhile, NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has Vermont, along with the rest of western New England, eastern New York and Pennsylvania and New Jersey  under a moderate risk of flash floods for later today and tonight. 

"Moderate risk" doesn't sound all that bad, but it is. It's a pretty rare designation for this neck of the woods and means flash flooding is all but inevitable and in some places it will be significant. 

The moderate risk stays in effect in all of Vermont and western New Hampshire all day Monday into Monday night. It's really rare to have the same spot be under a moderate risk on two consecutive days. All the more reason to worry. 

I've been "wish casting," which means I'm hoping for a weather outcome better than the official forecasts. You know, drizzle and fog instead of flash floods, that sort of thing. I suppose we can still hope for a better outcome than what's predicted, and that still might happen. 

But it's not looking great.

FORECAST PARTICULARS

This event will start out like the one we had on Friday. 

Thunderstorms will blossom across Vermont and surrounding areas this afternoon.  Some places in these initial hours might not get much rain at all. Other places will see torrential rains and flash floods, much like we saw around Killington and Worcester on Friday. 

We don't know in advance what towns will get hit today. But problems are most likely in and near the Green Mountains. Especially in areas that saw those torrents on Friday. 

These storms will blend into an area-wide zone of heavy rain this evening and that will continue overnight. That's when the worst flooding starts. 

In some respects, this is more dangerous than the devastating Hurricane Irene in 2011. On that occasion, most of the flash floods happened during the day. Daytime flash floods are easier to react to, and get out of the way. 

At night, you can't see so much, so people aren't as aware they're in danger.  They might be sleeping in their homes, unaware water is rising around them or a mudslide is headed their way. 

On the roads, it's even worse. During the day, it's usually pretty easy to figure out the road in front of you is flooded and/or washed away.  At night, you're cruising along, and you don't see the high water, or missing road or bridge until it's too late, and you plunge in.

That's why I worry somebody might get killed in this flooding. I think we're all hoping my worry comes to naught. 

The heavy rain will continue into Monday morning.  As the morning goes on, the rain might tend to dwindle some. But don't let your guard down. 

Two reasons for that:

The first if the main rivers will be rising rapidly.  Current USGS forecast call for minor to moderate flooding along the bigger rivers, but I suspect it could be worse than that, given the amount of rain headed our way. 

Another problem is torrential thunderstorms could re-blossom Monday afternoon, renewing and intensifying the flash flood threat. 

It's hard to say who's getting the most rain out of this, as it will be pretty variable. Some towns will really get bullseyed.

Current forecasts have southwestern Vermont and the Green Mountains with the most, with four to five inches. NOAA's Weather Prediction Center is also especially worried about the east slopes of the southern and central Green Mountains on Monday. 

By the way, this might not necessarily be over by Tuesday. We're stuck in the same general weather pattern we've been in. Locally heavy rain, and potential flash floods could get going again later in the week. We'll have to keep an eye on that, too.

SAFETY TIPS

Have several ways to receive weather warnings.  Weather radios are great. The National Weather Service office in South Burlington is awesome. Click on this link as a handy way to get to them. Trusted meteorologists at Vermont television and radio stations are excellent resources, too. 

Social media is not a great source to get warnings. Social media can be inaccurate, or the warnings you see there might be old, expired, or have changed since they were posted. 

If you are in a safe place overnight tonight, I suggest you don't drive anywhere, because of the before-mentioned difficulty in seeing floods and washouts in front of you. 

If your basement is prone to flooding, move items out this morning.  It's dangerous to go into a flooded basement to retrieve stuff because walls or items can collapse, which could trap you. 

 If you are in a flood-prone area, or near steep slopes, have several ways to receive flash flood or other warnings. If emergency services knock on your door and tell you to evacuate, do it immediately.  It won't hurt to prepare a "to go" bag this morning so you can grab it and go. The best "to go" bag is probably actually a waterproof bin 

The "to go" bag or bin should include important papers, medication, changes of clothes, wallet, items that are important to you, changes of clothes, flashlights and food and water.  Include "comfort items" for little kids, such as a favorite teddy bear. Have a plan to grab your pets in a hurry, too. 

Have a plan on where to go. If you have to evacuate, what's the best route to safety? Is there a Plan B route? Think about that now, before it starts raining. 

Also, head off to an ATM this morning and grab some cash, if possible. It's better to have cash on hand rather than a credit or debit card for sudden expenses. Especially if there are power troubles.

If you have possessions or property in flood plains of Vermont rivers, and if you have the ability, move them to higher ground this morning. This includes livestock, by the way. 

During the flood, avoid walking through flowing water, and watch out for fallen power lines or leaking propane tanks.  Don't stand on the edge of washouts, as there might be nothing beneath the thin layer of dirt or asphalt you're standing on.  Also, stay away from other hazards, such as shifting ground in mudslide zones, tottering trees or damaged buildings. 

SUMMARY

As far as I'm concerned, this is an emergency, and people are probably going to need help. This might not be at the level of Irene, but it's still likely to turn into a a really, really big deal.  Let's also hope everybody stays safe.  This is a potentially life threatening situation. We don't need deaths to make this whole thing even worse.

Of course, the National Weather Service and other reputable meteorologists are watching this thing incredibly closely.  They know what they're doing, so pay attention to what they're saying.  

Classic Vermont Fourth Of July Weather In Progress, Including A Few Hazards

A classic Fourth of July sky at noon today in Vermont.
Hazy blue sky amid high humidity, and some
attempts at showers or thunderstorms forming
in the distance near the mountains. 

 If this isn't quintessential Vermont Fourth of July weather, I don't know what is. 

As of noon, it's really humid, hazy, with some sun and clouds. Some of those clouds are towering up into scattered showers and thunderstorms.  You can't have a Fourth of July without some fireworks, right?  

I'm posting later than usual today because I timed some hard physical labor early in the morning, to avoid the worst of the warmth and especially the humidity. 

I'm still hopelessly dehydrated from all that sweating and sipping Pedialyte in an attempt to recover.

Which leads me to my first caution of the day.  The humidity will sneak up on you, and could give you heat exhaustion pretty quickly. Especially if you're running around in the sun, drinking Bud Light like there's no tomorrow and not taking breaks in the shade. Maybe have some lemonade instead and take a few dips in the lake. Or wander under the lawn sprinkler from time to time. 

That mugginess is nasty out there. And it's going to stick around at least into Friday, if not beyond. 

Then there's another problem. Lightning.  That dip in the lake is probably a bad idea if there's a thunderstorm around. They're just scattered about as of early afternoon. They will continue to be hit and miss. And probably a little more common near the mountains than in the broad valleys.

 That said, anybody could see a storm today.  Have a  plan in place to take shelter from lightning. That means getting into a building or an enclosed car.  Don't get me wrong. I love the show that lightning can provide. Just don't get hit!  

Since the storms will tend to be dying down toward sunset, I think most Fourth of July fireworks in Vermont should go on as planned tonight.  There might even be an added bonus with heat lightning in the distance. One can only hope!

The last potential ;problem to bring up today is flooding. Those thunderstorms are moving wicked slowly. They're feeding off a lot of moisture, so they can produce intense downpours. Some parts of Vermont are already soggy from a lot of rain over the past 10 days or so.

The chance of flooding today is quite low in Vermont, to be honest. But one or two spots could get an unlucky flash flood, If you're planning on camping in the woods, I'd pick a spot that's pretty far uphill from a brook, just in case. 

The greater risk of any high water is south and east of us. I notice a good chunks of New Hampshire, Maine and southern New England is now under a flood watch. And as of noon, a flash flood warning was up for northern Connecticut. 

Bottom line: Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy the holiday, but be ready to change your plans to dodge any storms or showers that come along.  And stay cool! 

Buffalo Blizzard Now A Full-Blown Tragedy. Why Did So Many People Die?

Snowbound neighborhood in Cheektowaga, New York
following the deadly Christmas weekend blizzard.
Photo by John Waller via AP.

 The death toll from the extreme blizzard in and around Buffalo was up to at least 27 as of late Monday morning.  The toll is likely to rise. 

Stephen Marth of Spectrum News 1 BUF said in a tweet 20 people are so far are known to have died in the city of Buffalo, six more in Erie County and another in Niagara County. 

Not everyone who died were caught in cars out in the open. Some died of heart attacks while trying to clear snow. Others died of other causes because rescue workers could not reach them. At least one died when a heater vent became clogged with snow

Officials say they are almost certain this terrible death toll will rise.

Now, the speculation, and the finger pointing, is already beginning as to why this blizzard was so fatal.

Weather forecasts prior to the blizzard were as dire as they get. The forecast discussion from the National Weather Service office in Buffalo issued at 1:38 a.m. Wednesday, December 21 read in part: 

"As if the very real threat for damage producing winds were not enough....there will also be the risk of a prolonged, paralyzing heavy lake effect snow event. The very strong to damaging winds, blowing and drifting snow with localized blizzard conditions followed by a rapid flash freeze."

Note that this is two full days before the crap really hit the fan in Buffalo. 

The 6:32 Wednesday forecast discussion said, "a once in a generation winter storm to slam the region heading into and THROUGH the Christmas weekend."

The NWS office in Buffalo first released a winter storm watch at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, December 20, so that's giving nearly a three day warning. That warning said in part, "Travel for the holiday weekend, including Friday, could be very difficult to impossible at times."  The watch also included an alert for possible tree and power line damage, and dangerously low wind chills. "

At 3:54 a.m. December 22, the Buffalo National Weather Service office issued a blizzard warning. That's a good 30 hours in advance of when blizzard conditions began in Buffalo. So people had a long lead time to prepare, with strident wording to get light a fire under residents' butts. 

This might be Monday morning quarterbacking, but a travel ban in Erie County, which is the area that includes Buffalo, did not go into effect until 9:30 a.m. December 23. By then, perhaps thousands of people had already driven to work, shopping or errands. 

Those people ended having to attempt a drive home in zero visibility blizzard conditions, and many of them got stuck.  Soon, things got so bad that emergency vehicles got stuck.  Nobody could rescue anyone who was in trouble. 

Buffalo is by no means out of the woods.  The Washington Post today reports that 10,000 people in the region still had no power as of Monday.  Electrical substations are damaged, including one that is inaccessible for now due to 18-foot tall snow drifts. 

People stuck in shelters and nursing homes are reportedly running out of food, the Washington Post reports. Many streets remain completely blocked, and the airport will remain closed to at least Monday.

Another four to eight inches of snow is in the forecast for Buffalo through tomorrow. At least 49.1 inches of snow have fallen in Buffalo since the storm started.

Yet another danger lurks in Buffalo:  Temperatures are expected to rise into the 50s by next weekend, and rain should break out. That raises the risk of flooding. 

Overall, the death toll nationwide from the storm stood at 49, according to the Associated Press. That includes one person in Castleton, Vermont, who was killed by a falling tree on Thursday. 

Canada was hard hit by the storm as well.

About 380,000 people in Quebec lost power at the height of the storm, mostly from damage caused by high winds. 

The northern edge of the Buffalo blizzard reached into Canadian shorelines along Lake Erie, dumping feet of snow and blocking roads for days. 

Likely Worst Heat Wave Of Year In Vermont Even If Temperatures Aren't Highest

It's so hot this week I figure I'd treat you to a photo of a
heavy snowstorm in Burlington, Vermont 
from a few winters ago. 

 The hottest it's gotten so far this summer in Burlington, Vermont was a record 96 degrees way back on June 7.  

For those who don't like hot weather, the good news: It almost surely won't get that hot during this week's heat wave.  Now the bad news: This weeks 90 degree weather will feel probably feel hotter than that 96 degree day back in June. 

Back during the record heat in early June, the dew point, the best measure to figure out how humid it is out there, was only in the upper 50s to low 60s.  That's not very humid at all, really. 

A dew point like that, say on a day when the actual temperature is something like 80s degrees, makes for a very comfortable summer day.  Yes, it was uncomfortably hot in early June, but that was solely a function of high temperatures.

This week is different. It's wicked humid out there.  And it will stay that way through Friday, even as temperatures rise above the mid and upper 80s we've seen since Friday.

That dew point is now into the mid 60s, which is pretty humid. There's signs those dew point readings could go to the low 70s - maybe today, but more likely tomorrow and Thursday.   That'll drive the heat index - what the air actually feels like - to the mid 90s in parts of Vermont and surrounding areas today, and maybe near 100 degrees Wednesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, actual temperatures will top out around 90 degrees for most of us, low 90s in the hot spots around Vermont.  That's really up there, but not as hot as it can get, and as mentioned, "cooler" than that early June spell of heat.

A heat advisory is up today for much of the Northeast, including the Champlain Valley and southwest and southeast corners of Vermont. Temperatures will feel like they're in the mid 90s even as actual temperatures barely crack 90 degrees.

There's no heat alerts for tomorrow - yet.  The National Weather Service in South Burlington will get us through today, they hoist new heat advisories or warnings Wednesday morning. The heat index tomorrow afternoon and evening should get to 100 degrees in spot. 

Thursday's looking just as bad, with a potential added twist. When it's this hot and humid, all you need is a trigger to set off some big thunderstorms, as I mentioned yesterday. 

There will be isolated thunderstorms today, and some overnight tonight as a disturbance skirts the Canadian border. Those might provide a few instances of torrential downpours. 

Wednesday looks almost storm free for most of the day.

A slightly stronger disturbance seems like it wants to approach us Thursday afternoon amid all this heat and humidity. That combination could well turn into a trigger for strong gusty thunderstorms.  It's so humid out there, that the rain will really come down incredibly hard with some of these, so expect a few instances of street flooding, driveway or back road washouts, that sort of thing. 

That's a couple days away, so it may or may not develop. Stay tuned. 

In any event, during this "worst of summer" heat wave, try to stay in the air conditioning. If you have to work outdoors or do strenuous activities outside, like I do today and tomorrow, take it easy. Like I will.

Drink plenty of water.  Take quite a few breaks. Get your butt into a cool place during rests to avoid heat exhaustion or gawd forbid heat stroke. Do you have elderly relatives or friends living in a house without air conditioning? Check on them, or better yet, grab 'em and take them out to someplace cool.  Even if it's for a random sight seeing drive in an air conditioned car.