484  
FXUS61 KBTV 221831  
AFDBTV  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT  
131 PM EST SUN FEB 22 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
AS OF 129 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
SNOWFALL AMOUNT GRADIENT HAS TIGHTENED FOR THE SUNDAY NIGHT  
THROUGH MONDAY NOR'EASTER, INCREASING SOME SNOWFALL AMOUNTS  
ACROSS RUTLAND COUNTY AND DECREASING THEM SLIGHTLY IN WINDSOR  
COUNTY. OVERALL TOTALS IN THESE COUNTIES WILL BE BETWEEN 3 AND 7  
INCHES. TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY NIGHT HAVE INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN  
SOME LOCATIONS AS CLOUD COVER INCREASES DURING THAT PERIOD  
AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
AS OF 129 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
1. A STRONG NOR'EASTER DEVELOPING OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST  
WILL BRING SNOWFALL AND BREEZY CONDITIONS TO THE REGION TONIGHT AND  
MONDAY, WITH THE GREATEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHERN  
AND CENTRAL VERMONT.  
 
2. COLD WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.  
WITH THE COMBINATION OF LINGERING STRONG NORTHWEST GUSTS, WIND  
CHILLS OF -5 TO -15 ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN NEW YORK EARLY  
TUESDAY MORNING.  
 
3. MOISTURE-STARVED LOW PRESSURE WILL BRING SOME ADDITIONAL  
LIGHT SNOW TO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY.  
 
4. INLAND RUNNER TO BRING RAIN AND SNOW TO THE REGION LATE  
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
AS OF 129 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: THIS AFTERNOON, AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE TROUGH IS  
ROTATING OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AS A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM  
STRENGTHENS ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE U.S. ACROSS NORTHERN  
NEW YORK AND VERMONT, ALL IS QUIET AT THE MOMENT WITH UPPER RIDGING  
MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE STATIONED OVER  
QUEBEC. THE LOW PRESSURE STRENGTHENING IN THE SOUTHEAST WILL BECOME  
THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED STRONG NOR'EASTER BY THE END OF THE DAY, ITS  
CENTER EXPECTED TO TRACK SOUTHEAST OF CAPE COD TONIGHT INTO MONDAY.  
WHILE THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO  
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, OUR REGION WILL REMAIN ON THE NORTHERN  
PERIPHERY OF THE SYSTEM WITH A FAIRLY SHARP SNOWFALL GRADIENT  
FORECAST, AS IS TYPICAL WITH THESE SYSTEMS. THE CURRENT FORECAST IS  
3 TO 7 INCHES ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL VERMONT, WITH 1 TO 3 ACROSS  
CENTRAL VERMONT, WHILE MORE NORTHERN LOCATIONS AND MOST OF NORTHERN  
NEW YORK WILL MISS OUT. AS OF NOW, THE BULK OF THE SNOWFALL LOOKS TO  
FALL MONDAY MORNING, BEFORE GRADUALLY WINDING DOWN MONDAY AFTERNOON  
AND EVENING AS THE COASTAL LOW PULLS AWAY. IN ADDITION TO THE  
SNOWFALL, GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM, WITH GUSTS  
IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE INCREASINGLY LIKELY ACROSS SOUTHERN  
VERMONT, PEAKING AROUND THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS COULD LEAD  
TO BLOWING SNOW, MAKING FOR EVEN MORE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS  
AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES, ESPECIALLY IN ANY MOUNTAIN PASSES, SO BE  
SURE BE ALERT AND USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING THROUGH CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN VERMONT ON MONDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN  
EFFECT FOR RUTLAND AND WINDSOR COUNTIES FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 7 PM  
MONDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2: AS THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED STRONG NOR'EASTER PULLS  
NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES ON MONDAY NIGHT, ISOBARS  
WILL REMAIN TIGHTLY PACKED AGAINST SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE NOSING IN  
FROM JAMES BAY. TEMPERATURES WILL SINK TOWARDS 0 F ACROSS PARTS OF  
NORTHERN NEW YORK WHILE WINDS REMAIN AROUND 10-20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP  
TO 25 KNOTS. WITH THESE TWO ELEMENTS COMBINED, CONDITIONS WILL FEEL  
MORE LIKE -5 TO -15 F ACROSS THE REGION. THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND  
REST OF VERMONT IS LIKELY TO REMAIN A BIT WARMER, AS THE CORE OF  
COLDEST AIR DOESN'T ARRIVE IN VERMONT UNTIL MIDDAY AND WILL STRUGGLE  
TO MAKE IT PAST THE MOUNTAINS. HIGHS ON TUESDAY WILL CREEP INTO THE  
TEENS OVER NORTHERN NEW YORK AND FAR NORTHERN VERMONT, WHILE THE  
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND UPPER VALLEY WARM INTO THE  
20S. A FEW LINGERING UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY  
NIGHT AND EVEN TUESDAY AS AN INCOMING SHORTWAVE GETS ABSORBED WITHIN  
DEEP, STACKED LOW PRESSURE AND ARCTIC MARITIME MOISTURE WRAPS  
AROUND. THE FORECAST FOR TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY NIGHT REMAINS  
TRICKY AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND WEAK UPPER RIDGING ARRIVE AND  
WINDS BECOME LIGHT TO CALM. WE MAY RADIATE INITIALLY, BUT CLOUD  
COVER FROM THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL ALREADY BE APPROACHING, WHICH COULD  
CAP THINGS OFF EARLY. THE CURRENT FORECAST IS ABOUT -5 TO 10 F, BUT  
MUCH WILL DEPEND ON CLOUD COVER AND WINDS.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3: THE NEXT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION ARRIVES AROUND MIDWEEK  
AS A VERTICALLY STACKED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED OVER THE GREAT  
LAKES STRETCHES A FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC, THEN  
NORTHWARD THROUGH NEW ENGLAND. THE SYSTEM LACKS NOTABLE MOISTURE,  
BUT HAS ADEQUATE FORCING, NEGATIVE TILT, AND OPTIMAL POSITIONING OF  
A LOW LEVEL JET STREAK TO BRING US SOME MORE SNOW. TEMPERATURES  
WEDNESDAY WARM BACK TOWARDS SEASONAL NORMALS WITH FORECAST HIGHS IN  
THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 4: DETERMINISTIC AND ENSEMBLE MODELS ARE STARTING TO KEY IN  
ON AREA OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT IS EXPECTED TO TRACK OUT OF THE  
OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND NORTHEAST THROUGH THE ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY LATE  
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE MODEL CONSENSUS ON PRECIPITATION TYPE  
AT THIS TIME IS PREDOMINANTLY SNOW, BUT LOWS THAT TRACK THROUGH THE  
ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY INHERENTLY HAVE WARM AIR ADVECTION ASSOCIATED  
WITH THEM. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME MIX FROM SNOW TO RAIN AS  
PRECIPITATION TAPERS OFF FRIDAY MORNING. THE NBM IS CURRENTLY  
SHOWING BETWEEN 30-50% CHANCE OF SNOWFALL EXCEEDING 4 INCHES LATE  
THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY WITH THE MAIN PORTION OF THE EVEN  
OCCURRING DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WHICH COULD LESSEN POTENTIAL  
IMPACTS FROM THE HEAVIER WET SNOW THIS SYSTEM WOULD LIKELY BRING. IN  
ADDITION TO THE SNOW, STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS BETWEEN 30-40 MPH CANNOT  
BE RULED OUT IN THE CHAMPLAIN AND ST. LAWRENCE VALLEYS AS WINDS  
CHANNEL UP THE VALLEY. SOME UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS  
THE HIGH TERRAIN IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW AS IT APPEARS THE UPPER  
LEVEL TROUGH WILL LAG ABOUT 12 HOURS BEHIND THE INITIAL SURFACE LOW  
WITH STEEP LAPSE RATES AND PLENTY OF COLD AIR MOVING BACK ACROSS THE  
REGION. THE LONGWAVE PATTERN WILL SHIFT FROM AMPLIFIED TO ZONAL OVER  
THE WEEKEND WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW QUICK SNOW SHOWERS BUT NO  
BIG SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED NEXT WEEKEND AT THIS TIME.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
THROUGH 18Z MONDAY...SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE TO SLOWLY TAPER OFF FROM  
EAST TO WEST WITH A MIX OF MVFR AND IFR VISIBILITIES ACROSS NEW YORK  
AT SOUTHERN VERMONT AT THIS TIME. BY 20Z, SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD LIFT  
OUT OF OUR AREA AND DISSIPATE WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR VISIBILITIES TO  
INCREASE BACK TO VFR LEVELS WITH CEILINGS CONTINUING TO HOVER  
BETWEEN 4000 AND 8000 FT. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND VARIABLE  
THROUGH THE DAY TODAY BUT WILL BECOME GUSTY FROM THE NORTH AROUND  
10Z ON MONDAY. WIND GUSTS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 20 TO 25 KNOT  
RANGE BUT SOME GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 KNOTS CANNOT BE RULED OUT,  
ESPECIALLY IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY. SNOWFALL WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN  
VERMONT DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS WITH IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS  
EXPECTED AT KRUT THROUGH A GOOD PORTION OF THE DAY ON MONDAY.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
MONDAY NIGHT: MAINLY VFR, WITH AREAS MVFR POSSIBLE. SLIGHT CHANCE  
SN.  
TUESDAY: VFR. NO SIG WX.  
TUESDAY NIGHT: VFR. SLIGHT CHANCE SN.  
WEDNESDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH AREAS MVFR AND IFR POSSIBLE. LIKELY  
SN.  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: MAINLY MVFR, WITH AREAS VFR POSSIBLE. SLIGHT  
CHANCE SN.  
THURSDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE SN.  
THURSDAY NIGHT: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE SN.  
FRIDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. SLIGHT CHANCE SN.  
 

 
   
EQUIPMENT
 
 
THE KMPV ASOS HAS SUFFERED A COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE. THE ISSUE  
HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED, BUT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO ESTIMATED TIME OF  
RETURN TO SERVICE. TERMINAL AERODROME FORECASTS WILL CONTINUE,  
BUT AMENDMENTS TO THOSE FORECASTS WILL BE SUSPENDED.  
 
NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION WXM-44, TRANSMITTING FROM MT.  
ASCUTNEY, VERMONT, ON FREQUENCY 162.475 MHZ IS NON- OPERATIONAL  
AT THIS TIME. NWS TECHNICIANS HAVE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM, BUT  
REPAIRS WILL LIKELY NOT BE ABLE TO OCCUR FOR QUITE SOME TIME DUE  
TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL. THEREFORE, THE TIME OF  
RETURN TO SERVICE IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN. THE FOLLOWING NOAA  
WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTERS MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE DURING  
THIS OUTAGE: WWG 50 FROM BURKE MTN, VT AT 162.425 MHZ AND WNG  
546 FROM HANOVER, NH AT 162.525 MHZ.  
 
THE COLCHESTER REEF METEOROLOGICAL STATION IS OUT OF SERVICE.  
THIS SITE IS NOT SERVICED BY THE NWS AND THERE ISN'T AN  
ESTIMATED RETURN TO SERVICE AT PRESENT. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU  
OBSERVE WINDS SIGNIFICANTLY DEVIATING FROM THE RECREATIONAL  
FORECAST.  
 

 
   
BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
VT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR  
VTZ011-019>021.  
NY...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...STORM  
DISCUSSION...STORM/CLAY  
AVIATION...CLAY  
EQUIPMENT...NWS BTV  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab VT Page
The Nexlab NY Page Main Text Page