Frigid Saturday Morning To Give Way To New England Snowstorm

It was below zero across almost all of northern New York and northern New England Saturday morning in the frigid calm before the storm.

Even normally "tropical" Burlington, Vermont got into the act, falling below zero for the first time this winter.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. Forecasters
still say Vermont and surrounding states are due for
6 to 10 inches of snow this weekend. 

It really is a classic setup to what promises to be a classic textbook type snowfall across the region.

The cold high pressure system just to our north will force relatively warm, moist up from a storm approaching from the south and over the cold dome of air over us. That rising air will condense out the moisture as snow.

The storm will consolidate into a mid-sized nor'easter that will give us the first widespread snow of the season.

That whole scenario is typical of the way mid-sized snowstorms play out in New England.

Winter storm warnings are flying across most of New England through Sunday.

This won't be a huge storm. Like I said, a typical snowfall for the area. Most spots in Vermont and New Hampshire, along with most of northern New York will see generally six to 10 inches of powder. a few mountains and east facing slopes in the southern Green Mountains could pick up a foot.

A few places along the western slopes of the Green and White Mountains might pick up a bit less than six inches, since those mountains will block some of the moisture the storm will bring in from the Atlantic Ocean.

In some of the mountain passes in Vermont, especially in those western slope areas that get strong winds sometimes, it could get pretty nasty for awhile tonight and Sunday morning. Winds could gust to 40 or even 50 mph in a few isolated spots, like east of Rutland and Middlebury, and maybe toward Underhill and Cambridge.

Those winds would make visibilities drop to zero at times in blowing snow. For most of the rest of us, winds will probably stay at or below 25 mph for most of the storm.

Today, Saturday, is a good time to get your errands done out and about, since it won't start snowing until mid afternoon in southern Vermont and toward evening up north. Sunday, with the snow and blowing snow outdoors, you can sit inside, hot cocoa at the ready, to fill out Christmas cards and wrap gifts.

It'll be a classic Christmas day. Lots of "classics" going on with this storm, no?

As the snow tapers off later Sunday, temperatures will start to fall again. We get another blast of frigid air Monday before temperatures ease up a bit midweek.

The ski areas must be loving this, given it's hitting right before the Christmas holiday. It'll stay cold most of next week, with more snow showers around. There might be a brief thaw around Friday, but it probably won't last long all that long.

Chances are rising that Vermont will have a white Christmas this year.