Your MAX Advantage Forecast

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) -Good Thursday, everyone! After breaking record high temperatures on Wednesday with highs getting into the 50s and low 60s, we can expect some changes in the weather starting today. It will still be warm in our southern counties with highs back in the upper 40s and 50s, but our northern areas will be cooling off, starting in the low 40s early in the day, but dropping into the 30s during the afternoon. Today will start with some sunshine in the morning, but then it will cloud up for the rest of the day. There is a chance for just a few rain or snow showers late in the afternoon into the early evening hours.

Things really go downhill overnight. A potent cold front will be moving in from NW to SE by late this evening and into Friday morning. The front will be coming along with some heavy rain and possibly even a thunderstorm or two.

The big problem will be in our northern areas, especially northern NY and the northern Champlain Valley as temperatures hover around the freezing mark. There could be some pretty good icing with freezing rain and sleet, developing a little before midnight tonight and continuing through the Friday morning commute. Travel conditions will be nasty in our northern counties for that AM commute. Heavy rain and possible thunderstorms will be the challenge for commuters in the southern counties.

Winds will pick up out of the north during the day on Friday, and those blustery winds will be bringing in much colder air. Temperatures will drop through the 30s and 20s throughout the day, then through the teens into the single digits overnight and into Saturday morning. The wintry mix of sleet & freezing rain will change over to snow showers after that morning mess.

Ice build-up could be as much as 1/4″ or more in the northern Champlain Valley and northern NY. That will make for some very slick travel and walking conditions. It could also bring down some tree limbs and power lines, leading to power outages. Snowfall accumulation will only be a trace to around 2″ in our northern areas by the end of the day on Friday, but as much as 2-4″ in northern NY closer to the St. Lawrence Valley.

It will clear out Friday night, so the weekend will start with lots of sunshine on Saturday. The morning will be cold with temperatures in the single digits, but it will warm up close to normal in the afternoon (normal high for Burlington is now 32°).

It will get back into the 40s again on Sunday with partly sunny skies. And to round out the holiday weekend, Presidents’ Day on Monday will feature the chance for some rain & snow showers.

It will drop back into the 30s for highs on Tuesday and Wednesday with the chance for a few snow showers each day.

Your MAX Advantage Weather Team will be busy keeping an eye on the slick weather coming in tonight and early Friday, and we will continue to monitor any potential flooding problems on rivers and streams which could be experiencing possible ice jams. We will keep you updated with the latest, on-air and online. -Gary

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