344  
FXUS61 KBTV 301907  
AFDBTV  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT  
307 PM EDT MON MAR 30 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
AS OF 306 PM EDT MONDAY...  
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ISSUED FOR FAR NORTHERN NEW YORK AND GRAND  
ISLE COUNTY FOR FREEZING RAIN TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
AS OF 306 PM EDT MONDAY...  
 
1. ROUND 1 OF RAIN WITH WINTRY MIX NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL  
BORDER TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.  
 
2. ROUND 2 OF RAIN WITH WINTRY MIX NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL  
BORDER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.  
 
3. RIVER RISES EXPECTED WITH LOCAL LOWLAND FIELD FLOODING  
POSSIBLE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.  
 
4. ACTIVE AND WARM WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO  
THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
AS OF 306 PM EDT MONDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS WEST TO EAST TUESDAY INTO  
WEDNESDAY, WITH A TRACK NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. AS THE LOW  
MOVES INTO THE REGION, COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE TRYING TO BUILD  
DOWN FROM CANADA. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN AS RAIN SHOWERS AS A  
WARM FRONT TYPE FEATURES PUSHES INTO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO  
TOMORROW DUE TO THE ALREADY WARM ANTECEDENT AIRMASS. HOWEVER, AS THE  
HIGH BUILDS DOWN AND WINDS SWITCH TO NORTHERLY, SURFACE TEMPERATURES  
WILL DROP TO AROUND FREEZING ACROSS THE NORTHERN CHAMPLAIN VALLEY,  
ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY, AND FAR NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS. THE RAIN SHOWERS  
SHOULD EVENTUALLY CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN SHOWERS THERE. A DRY SLOT  
SHOULD OCCUR DURING MUCH OF THE DAY TOMORROW, BUT A SECOND ROUND OF  
RAIN LOOKS TO MOVE THROUGH LATE TOMORROW INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. BY  
THIS POINT, TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE COLD ENOUGH FOR FREEZING  
RAIN TO BEGIN IN THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS. CURRENTLY, UP TO 0.2  
TENTHS OF ICE IS EXPECTED, BUT THIS IS A VERY UNCERTAIN FORECAST.  
MODEL GUIDANCE IS WIDELY SPLIT AND A HIGH SUN ANGLE MAY PREVENT  
ENOUGH COOLING DURING THE DAY FOR ICING TO OCCUR. A REASONABLE HIGH  
END SOLUTION WOULD PROBABLY BE 0.2 TO 0.4 INCHES LIKE FORECAST BY  
THE HRRR OR NAM, WHILE A REASONABLE LOW END SOLUTION IS NOTHING AS  
FORECAST BY MUCH OF THE GLOBAL GUIDANCE AND COUPLE OF THE OTHER  
CAMS. OVERALL, QPF TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 0.5 TO 1.5  
INCHES WITH HIGHER TOTALS FARTHER SOUTH. SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY  
COULD CAUSE A FEW RUMBLES OF THUNDER AND LOCAL CONVECTIVE  
ENHANCEMENT OF THE RAINFALL, THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THAT SHOULD  
REMAIN TO THE SOUTH.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2: ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAKES A RUN AT THE REGION FOR LATE  
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, THOUGH THE TREND IN STORM TRACK TO THE NORTH  
CONTINUES. CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE ESTABLISHED ON THURSDAY  
AND IT WILL PROVIDE A COLD ANTECEDENT AIRMASS FOR THIS LOW PRESSURE  
TO RUN INTO. WITH THE CURRENT EXPECTED STORM TRACK, THE  
PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO START AS A WINTRY MIX AND TRANSITION TO ALL  
RAIN. COMBINED GEFS/EPS/CAN ENSEMBLE PROBABILITIES OF 1 INCH OR MORE  
OF SNOW GENERALLY RANGE BETWEEN 30-70 PERCENT, 3 ARE BETWEEN 5-20  
PERCENT AND 6 ARE LESS THAN 10 PERCENT. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITIES  
ARE FARTHER NORTHEAST. PROBABILITIES OF 0.1 INCH OR MORE OF FREEZING  
RAIN ARE BETWEEN 20-40 PERCENT FOR THE FAVORED LOCATIONS EAST OF THE  
GREENS AND IN SOUTHERN ESSEX COUNTY NY. THE CAVEAT HERE IS THAT WITH  
THE WARMING TREND AND LOOKING AT THE NEW DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE,  
THESE PROBABILITIES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO COME DOWN A BIT,  
ESPECIALLY WITH THE SNOW.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3: DESPITE A GRADUAL SOUTHWARD SHIFT IN THE HEAVIEST  
PRECIPITATION, SHARP RIVER RISES ARE STILL EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO  
WEDNESDAY AND LOWLAND FIELD TYPE FLOODING REMAINS POSSIBLE. OVERALL,  
THE EXPECTED 0.5 TO 1.5 INCH TOTALS OVER 36 HOURS WOULD NOT CAUSE  
MUCH OF A THREAT BY THEMSELVES, BUT SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY AND  
ASSOCIATED RAINFALL ENHANCEMENT WILL LIKELY LEAD TO LOCALLY HIGHER  
TOTALS. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AXIS LOOKS TO SET UP OVER CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN AREAS, WHERE LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO AROUND TWO INCHES ARE  
POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE SOME NOTABLE FACTORS LIMITING THE  
FLOOD THREAT. THE FIRST IS THAT THE RAIN LOOKS TO COME THROUGH IN  
TWO MOSTLY SEPARATE ROUNDS, WITH ALMOST TWELVE HOURS IN BETWEEN,  
GIVING TIME FOR RIVERS TO TAKE UP THE WATER. THE SECOND IS THAT  
THERE WILL BE RELATIVELY COOL SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS,  
ESPECIALLY WHERE THE SNOWPACK REMAINS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. DEW  
POINTS ONLY LOOK TO REACH THE UPPER 30S AND LOW 40S, WITH MAXIMUM  
TEMPERATURES NOT MUCH HIGHER. A GRADUALLY COOLING TREND SHOULD ALLOW  
SNOWMELT TO DECLINE FURTHER GOING INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. WITH THAT  
BEING SAID, SEVERAL RIVERS LOOK TO APPROACH ACTION STAGE AND MINOR  
FLOODING CANNOT BE RULED OUT IN A REASONABLE WORST CASE SCENARIO.  
THE RIVER FORECAST TO MINOR FOR THE EAST BRANCH OF THE AUSABLE RIVER  
IN AUSABLE FORKS IS ON THE HIGH SIDE, WITH ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE  
AVERAGING BELOW THAT AND SHADOWING EFFECTS LIKELY LIMITING  
PRECIPITATION AS WELL.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 4: AN EARLY SEASON BERMUDA HIGH WILL PEAK IN INTENSITY  
THURSDAY NIGHT WITH ONLY A GRADUAL DECAY EXPECTED. A PAIR OF WEATHER  
SYSTEMS ACROSS THE WESTERN US WILL SEND IMPULSES NORTHEASTWARD  
BEFORE FINALLY TRACKING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN  
THE DEEP LAYER RIDGING STARTS TO DECAY OFF THE ATLANTIC. THURSDAY  
NIGHT INTO FRIDAY WILL FEATURE MIXED PRECIPITATION AND RAIN TRENDING  
SCATTERED DURING THE DAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 50S  
TO 60S AGAIN. THE TRACK OF LOW PRESSURE FRIDAY AFTERNOON IS SOMEWHAT  
UNCERTAIN, BUT MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE MAY BE OVERESTIMATING HOW FAR  
NORTH A 1005-1010MB SURFACE LOW CAN GET AGAINST A 1037-1040MB HIGH  
OVER QUEBEC PROVINCE. THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BEND TOWARDS A  
MORE EASTWARD, OR EAST-SOUTHEAST, TRACK, PERHAPS OVERHEAD. THE  
FARTHER SOUTH IT GOES, THE EARLIER WE SEE PRECIPITATION RETURN. MOST  
OF THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE SURFACE LOW  
AND LESS OUTSIDE. SOME MARGINAL INSTABILITY OF 100-250 J/KG WILL BE  
POSSIBLE , BUT WITHOUT BETTER FORCING AND THE PRESENCE OF DRY AIR,  
COVERAGE MAY BE SCATTERED. THE LOW TRACK WILL ALSO INFLUENCE THE  
DEGREE OF DESTABILIZATION POSSIBLE. BRIEFLY DRIER CONDITIONS WILL  
ENSUE AFTER THE LOW SHIFTS EAST FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. SOMEWHAT  
COOLER AIR WILL TRY TO SHUFFLE BACK SOUTH, BUT WITH LITTLE SUCCESS  
AGAINST THE STRONGER SYSTEM INCOMING.  
 
THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL PACK A LITTLE MORE PUNCH. STRONGER  
SOUTHWESTERLY 850MB FLOW AND MORE WARM, MOIST AIR WILL BE PRESENT AS  
THE AREA OF STRONGER HIGH PRESSURE IN QUEBEC PROVINCE MOVES OUT.  
THIS SECOND SURFACE LOW WILL LIKELY TRACK NORTH OF MONTREAL, AND  
MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS A WELL-DEFINED FRONT. WE'LL SEE HOW  
MUCH OF IT MAY GET BROKEN UP TO TERRAIN SHADOWING AGAINST THE FASTER  
850MB FLOW, BUT FOR NOW, RAIN SHOWERS APPEAR VERY LIKELY, THOUGH THE  
EXACT TIME WINDOW WILL BE TACKED DOWN LATER.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY...VFR CONDITIONS CURRENTLY PREVAIL ACROSS ALL  
TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON, WITH HIGH CLOUDS STREAMING INTO THE  
REGION. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE  
EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL START MOVING INTO THE REGION LATE  
TONIGHT INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, GENERALLY BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z,  
BRINGING LOWER CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO TERMINALS.  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE QUICKLY WITHIN THE  
PRECIPITATION, WITH IFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE AT MOST TERMINALS BY 12Z  
OR SO WITH RAIN AND MIST MAKING FOR MVFR VISIBILITIES AROUND 4SM  
THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS CONTINUE TO BE GUSTY  
FROM THE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON, BUT WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISHING  
TOWARDS 00Z OR SO, BECOMING MORE LIGHT AND VARIABLE THROUGHOUT THE  
FORECAST PERIOD. SOME LLWS MAY BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST  
PERIOD, ESPECIALLY AT KSLK AND KRUT TOMORROW MORNING.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT: MAINLY IFR, WITH AREAS MVFR POSSIBLE. DEFINITE RA,  
DEFINITE SHRA, LIKELY FZRA, ISOLATED TSRA.  
WEDNESDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH LOCAL IFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE RA,  
SLIGHT CHANCE FZRA.  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE RA,  
SLIGHT CHANCE SN.  
THURSDAY: MAINLY MVFR AND IFR, WITH AREAS VFR POSSIBLE. LIKELY  
RA, LIKELY SN.  
THURSDAY NIGHT: MVFR AND IFR. DEFINITE RA, DEFINITE FZRA,  
DEFINITE SN.  
FRIDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH LOCAL IFR POSSIBLE. DEFINITE RA.  
FRIDAY NIGHT: MAINLY MVFR, WITH AREAS IFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE RA.  
SATURDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH AREAS IFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE RA.  
 
 
   
EQUIPMENT  
 
THE COLCHESTER REEF METEOROLOGICAL STATION IS OUT OF SERVICE.  
THIS SITE IS NOT SERVICED BY THE NWS. AN ESTIMATED RETURN TO  
SERVICE IS MAY 1ST. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU OBSERVE WINDS  
SIGNIFICANTLY DEVIATING FROM THE RECREATIONAL FORECAST.  
 
 
   
BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
VT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TUESDAY TO 9 AM EDT  
WEDNESDAY FOR VTZ001.  
NY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TUESDAY TO 9 AM EDT  
WEDNESDAY FOR NYZ026>028-030-031.  
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...MYSKOWSKI  
DISCUSSION...MYSKOWSKI/HAYNES  
AVIATION...KREMER  
EQUIPMENT...NWS BTV  
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