Updated at 12:55 p.m.
Snow is on its way just in time for Thanksgiving, but the holiday spirit may be dampened for some as a winter storm is expected to wallop parts of the state beginning Wednesday night.
The National Weather Service has issued an urgent winter storm watch, which is expected to last from 1 a.m. Thursday through 1 a.m. Friday. Heavy snow is possible, with the heaviest snowfall expected above 1,000 feet.
Some southern Vermont towns could see more than a foot of snow, meteorologists predict, with widespread precipitation occurring by mid-morning on Thanksgiving Day. The storm is expected to move from south to north, according to Jessica Storm, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Burlington office.
Bennington and Windham counties can expect up to 10-12 inches of snow, according to the Albany office of the National Weather Service. Northern and central Vermont counties are forecast to experience less than 6 inches of snowfall, and the Champlain Valley may see little accumulation.
“But light amounts (of snow) in lower elevations could also have an impact on holiday travel,” Storm said. Since precipitation levels are expected to vary across different regions in the state, the storm poses a challenge for Vermont’s Agency of Transportation in devising a unified plan, according to Ashley Atkins, deputy director of the district maintenance and fleet division.
“Each area foreman has a specific plan for the assigned area with anticipation that forecasted weather can and will change,” Atkins said. “The goal across our maintenance districts is to ensure that each and every person traveling tomorrow arrives safely to their destination.”
Meteorologists are advising Vermont residents to postpone holiday travel if possible and to keep a winter weather kit in their vehicles. Significant traffic delays are also expected.
These types of winter storms are not uncommon this time of year, noted John Goff, a meteorologist with the Burlington office.
“We’re actually late in Vermont,” Goff said.
