From Meteorologist Steve Glazier,
Winter is going out like a lion, with another (maybe one last) blast of heavy snow for the region. There aren't too many question marks to this storm, as global forecasting models have picked up on this storm several days prior and have continued to narrow in on a consistent snowfall forecast.
Here's the scoop. I'm going to break it down for different subjects on what this storm means to you. Let's start with what everyone's talking about...just how much?
How Much
Many areas will get a half-foot of snow at the least. Our official SkyTracker forecast is calling for 6-12" in a widespread swath of the Champlain Valley, portions of northeast Kingdom, and Upper Valley. Snowfall totals increase to 10-18" for the spine of the Green Mountains and White Mountains of New Hampshire. We're talking basically elevations 1,500 feet and above for the 10-18" mark. These are snow totals as of 8 a.m. Wednesday. There will be some additional snow Wednesday but mainly above 2,000' elevation on the order of 2-6" more inches through Wednesday night.
When
This is going to be a long-duration event with two heavy precipitation time frames. It will begin in southern Vermont around 8 p.m. and then move north to the Canadian border by about 3-4 a.m. Tuesday. By about 8 a.m. Tuesday there will be roughly 2-4" on the ground for most folks, as little as one inch along the Canadian border and as much as 5" across southern VT/NH. The snow potential will last through Wednesday morning with grand totals noted above.
A Tale of Two Bursts
So there will be a lull with this system. Between about 7-8 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. Tuesday we'll have a lull of much lighter precipitation before snow gets heavier again Tuesday afternoon and overnight. An additional 4-8" of snow will be likely with the second burst Tuesday afternoon-overnight.
Impacts
The biggest impact will be poor travel. All commutes Tuesday morning, Tuesday evening, and Wednesday morning will feature difficult driving conditions. I anticipate school closures Tuesday and delays Wednesday. There will be, however, a window midday Tuesday of lighter snowfall so that may be a window of opportunity to hit the road if need be. Isolated power outages will be possible in the higher terrain, mainly above 1,000' elevation where gusts could reach to 40 mph. Lower elevations will see gusts to 20-25 mph early Tuesday.
Precipitation Type
This will be mainly a snow event. There will be a little rain/snow mix in the Champlain Valley midday Tuesday below 500-750' elevation. Elsewhere it will be all snow and that's why the mountains will get the highest snow totals.
Unusual?
This isn't terribly unusual. The Burlington area has gotten a 6" snowfall as late as mid April, and a 12" snowfall as late as April 9th on record.
Links
Here are some helpful links to road conditions before, during, and after the storm:
http://vtransmaps.vermont.gov/VTrans511/511listing.asp
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