Par For The Course: A Very Nippy Vermont New Year's Eve

It seemed like through the 1980s, 1990s, and early part of the 2000s, one of the nippiest cold waves of each winter would hit on New Year's Eve, putting a chill on the festivities.

Bundle up if you're going to First Night
It's going to be a cold one.  

Or, failing that, we'd get some freezing rain, making the walk home particularly challenging for those who imbibed in the Champagne.

However, the past four New Year's Eve celebrations brought relatively mild, calm weather to Vermont, so maybe the frigid end of the year pattern changed?

Nope.

It's going to be a cold one for anyone venturing out to First Night in Burlington, or to other celebrations across the North Country this evening.

New Year's Eve is dawning cold, with temperatures across most of northern New York and northern New England within a few degrees of zero.

It'll only make it into the teens today, and a few snow showers will dust the ground. The snow won't amount to much--less than an inch pretty much everywhere.

As the parties really get cranking this evening, temperatures will dip back down into the single numbers. A stiff northwest breeze will make it feel like it's in the single numbers or teens below zero.

Not to be a killjoy, but don't rely on the booze to keep you warm. Alcohol might give you a warm feeling, but it actually makes it easier for you to get cold if you've got it in your system.

Hot chocolate, anyone?

For those ambitious enough to participate in Burlington's First Run 5K race on New Year's Day, or even worse, the frigid New Year's Day dip into Lake Willoughby in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, be prepared for the chill.

It's not going to get even as high as 10 degrees as we welcome 2014.

So far, it's been a tougher winter this year than we've grown accustomed to in recent years, and I don't see any signs that's going to change soon.

Forecasters have backed off on the possibility of a snowstorm on Thursday and Friday. The storm will go more to the south and east than first forecast, so we'll only get some light snow at the end of the week.

It'll stay cold through Saturday, with highs not clearing 10 degrees and nighttime lows below zero.

It might warm up somewhat Sunday and Monday as some more snow arrives (It's not clear yet how much snow will come then)

After that, another subzero cold snap looks like it wants to come in.

Anyone waiting for a January thaw will just have to keep waiting.