Many New England states declared a state of
emergency this weekend following the major coastal storm that dumped more than
two feet of snow in parts of the region, including southern Vermont. Road crews and state officials
saw it as just another winter day.
A
winter storm that raged through the South and Midwest began dumping snow overnight in New England. By
sunrise, 3 to 8 inches had fallen across Vermont – with plenty more on the way.
As of
nightfall, some 20,000 power outages were still being reported across Vermont after
strong winds buffeted the state, causing more damage than did the remnants of
Superstorm Sandy.
The National
Weather Service issued tornado warnings Tuesday afternoon for parts of Vermont, meaning a funnel
cloud had been spotted either on radar or in the sky.
A series of thunderstorms rolled through the region overnight, and the
National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings
periodically throughout the morning.
It may be a white Thanksgiving for parts of Vermont, as snow mixed with
sleet and freezing rain made its way through the state, complicating travel plans and knocking out power.
Two consecutive days
of stormy weather dropped about six inches of rain across Vermont. It’s been disappointing for fall
foliage visitors. But potential flooding and power outages have been much less severe than
expected.