Extended Forecast | Significant/Hazardous Weather | Recreational Forecast | Detailed Discussion | Farm & Garden | Wind by Elevation | Temperature by Elevation
Detailed Forecast
Tonight:
Scattered snow showers, diminishing east of the Green Mountains. An additional dusting to 2 inches of accumulation. Lows in the teens to low 20s. Light wind becoming northwest up to 10 mph.
Saturday:
Yule: Scattered snow showers, more numerous over the higher terrain. Sunshine with mixed clouds to the south. Blustery and cool. Highs in the teens to near 20 north, in the 20s south. Wind increasing from the northwest 10 to 15 mph, gusting 20 to 30 mph.
Saturday Night:
Yule: Any mountain snow showers ending. Some clearing in the valleys and south. Cold. Lows mostly in the single numbers below north, and above south. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph.
Extended Forecast
Sunday:
Some lingering clouds in the morning mainly north, then becoming mostly sunny. Chilly. Highs only in the single digits to low teens north, upper teens to near 20 south. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph east of the Green Mountains.
Sunday Night:
Mostly clear and cold. Lows near zero south, zero to near negative 10 in the north, with a few negative teens possible in the cold spots.
Monday:
Ample sunshine. Highs in the teens to near 20 north, in the low to mid 20s in the Champlain Valley and south.
Monday Night:
Becoming mostly cloudy overnight. An increasing chance of snow showers from the west to the east, reaching VT late. Lows near zero northeast, in the single digits to near 10 in the northwest, in the tens to teens in the south.
Tuesday:
Christmas Eve: A chance of scattered light snow showers. Highs in the 20s north, to near freezing in the south.
Tuesday Night
Christmas Eve: Slight chance of lingering scattered snow showers, higher chances over the mountains. Lows in the teens to near 20 in the Champlain Valley.
Wednesday:
Christmas & Hanukkah: Mostly cloudy. A few light flurries over the mountains. Highs in the upper 20s to low 30s.
Significant/Hazardous Weather
Period of light snow will create some winter driving conditions late morning through this evening. Extra caution is urged.
***The Winter Solstice takes place at 4:21 AM EST tomorrow (Saturday) morning, marking the shortest daylight of the year, and the beginning of calendar winter***
Recreational Forecast
Mountain Forecast:
The summits today feature clouds, lowering onto the summits from the Green Mountains west, with periods of snow becoming likely, reaching the White Mountains this afternoon. Light to moderate southwest winds decreasing, and temperatures remaining cold. Saturday calls for the summits in the clouds to start, as snow decreases to snow showers. North to northwest winds increasing, and temperatures falling to the single numbers, including below zero over the Presidential Range in NH. Sunday’s outlook shows some morning clouds across the northern mountains, then lots of sunshine, decreasing north to northwest winds, and temperatures near or below zero.
Wind At Lower Elevations:
Winds today light and variable. Tonight, winds light, becoming northeast up to 10 mph, then northwest late. On Saturday, winds increasing from the northwest 10 to 15 mph, gusting 20 to 30 mph. The outlook for Sunday calls for northwest winds 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph east of the Green Mountains.
For more details on Lake Champlain, go to: https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BTV&product=REC&issuedby=BTV
Detailed Discussion
We wake to a more December-like morning – clouds, and temperatures in the teens to low 20s for most of us, which arrived yesterday behind a cold front and its snow showers, and lingers this morning as a small lobe of high pressure tracked from Ontario to eastern Quebec and Maine. This quick-moving high is already on its way out, which partially accounts for the clouds. The primary reason for the clouds is a weakening storm system sliding through the Ohio Valley beneath an energetic disturbance in the upper atmosphere. It spread periods of snow from the Dakotas into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley over the past 24 hours, but storms like this often find more favorable conditions – meaning some moisture, and a contrast of cold and warm – just off the East Coast, where we find a new storm forming east of the Carolinas. Although this ocean storm will become the main system, what’s left of the original storm spins through today into early Saturday, spreading some occasional light snow and snow showers through. In addition, there are indication that a band of snow may be enhanced by Lake Ontario, extending through the southern Adirondacks, into central and northeast VT late morning into this afternoon. Otherwise, the snow this afternoon and evening will create some slippery roads, so be prepared for some winter driving conditions. A dusting to a few inches of snow is expected, perhaps 4 or 5 in the mountains, while some valleys east of the Green Mountains see less than an inch. Meanwhile, behind the storm, some polar air accompanying strong high pressure has settled over the fresh snowcover in the Dakotas, with teens to a few 20s below zero. Although this cold will moderate some, we will feel its influence tomorrow through early next week. As the snow showers taper off tomorrow, temperatures starting in the teens to low 20s tomorrow will not rise much, if at all, perhaps what you would expect as Winter officially arrives, at least on the calendar with the Winter Solstice at 4:21 AM tomorrow morning. The coldest air of the season then follows suit, building in Saturday night into Sunday, with thermometers falling into the single digits either side of zero, and only recover to the single numbers and teens on Sunday. It will likely drop to near or below zero region-wide Sunday night, some of the mountain cold spots finding their way into the teens below zero. Cold, dry weather extends into early next week, temperatures easing a little. Another minor storm may bring another light coating of snow Monday night into Christmas Eve day, so between today and this next system, areas with bare ground have a reasonable chance for a White Christmas.
Farm & Garden
Rainfall Forecast:
The Farm and Garden forecasts will resume in April of 2025.
Drying Conditions:
The Farm and Garden forecasts will resume in April of 2025.
Frost:
The Farm and Garden forecasts will resume in April of 2025.
Wind by Elevation
| Wind Speeds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | Today | Saturday | Sunday |
| 2000ft | SE 5 to 10 mph | NNW 15 to 25 mph | NW 20>10 mph |
| 4000ft | SSW 15>S 10 mph | N>NW 20 to 30 mph | NNW 30>20 mph |
| 6000ft | SW 25>10 mph | N 30>NW 45 mph | NNW 50>30 mph |
Temperature by Elevation
| Temperature at Elevation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | Today | Saturday | Sunday |
| 2000ft | 20 N/26 S | 15 to 20, falling | 4 N/13 S |
| 4000ft | 15 to 20 | teens>5A | 0 to 5A |
| 6000ft | near 10 | 0>5B | 0 to 5B |