Winter Storm Uri closing in on New England
Widespread winter weather has broken snowfall records across the country, and Winter Storm Uri is now heading to New England, where snow and ice is expected to begin early Tuesday.
Woodstock Village after a storm earlier this month. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Widespread winter weather has broken snowfall records across the country, and Winter Storm Uri is now heading to New England, where snow and ice is expected to begin early Tuesday.
Not all areas are due for tons of snow on Tuesday, but forecasters are warning about snow and ice mixing on the roads in many parts of the Northeast region. In Vermont, the higher snowfall is expected to be in the north, with much of the state, including the Woodstock area, getting 6 to 12 inches. Some southern areas may see less than 6. The farther south you go, the more ice on the roads will be the main issue, said Tyler Jankoski of MyNBC5.
“The heavy snow and sleet is for all of us in the northern half of the region, with that icing south,” Jankoski said.
A winter storm warning was in effect from 7 p.m. Monday through 7 p.m. for most of Vermont, with 1 to 2 inches of snow falling per hour between midnight and 7 a.m.
What’s coming is the culmination of what’s been an epic weather event elsewhere in the U.S. On Monday afternoon, communities from the Rio Grande to the Saint Lawrence River were under winter weather advisories, and about 3 million people were without power. Most of those were in Texas, where traffic in every major city ground to a halt because of snow.
“I want to encourage people to stay home, to stay off the roads,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at a press briefing.
Oklahoma City, which also had record snowfall, had endured five-straight days of 25-degree temperatures, and states across the Plains have recorded record-low temperatures as well. The weekend brought 11 inches of snow to Seattle, breaking that city’s snowfall record for February.
As of 4 p.m. Monday, over half of the U.S. population remained under winter weather advisories.
Vermont’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics will remain open on Tuesday, but people wishing to reschedule their appointment due to the weather are asked to call 855-722-7878.
In the Green Mountains, the storm is expected to largely subside by noon on Tuesday, and sunshine and 25 degrees is in the forecast for Wednesday.
— Gareth Henderson