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Winter keeps a foothold in southern Vermont into next week

I hope you're having a good moment when your eyes scan this column. I also hope that you like late winter conditions, because we've got more on the way after a one-day warm-up for Wednesday.

Thereafter, a series of cold fronts will drop us into the freezer by the weekend with some light snow chances Friday, a very, VERY low chance on Sunday, and an interesting setup for Monday night into Tuesday.

For Wednesday, behind a frontal passage we'll enjoy an unseasonably warm day - for one day. After some early morning showers of rain and/or snow, breaks of sun should emerge and temperatures should reach into the low to mid 50s with increasing sunshine during the day.

A light southwest wind should develop ahead of yet another cold front that will pass through late Wednesday night or early on Thursday morning. Scattered showers with some graupel (an ice-rimed and compressed snowflake) are possible late, with warm air at the surface and cooling aloft. Lows Wednesday night will dip to near freezing.

For Thursday, the aforementioned cold front swings through and we will begin to cool at the surface. West winds will pick up and gust over 30 mph at times. Some snow showers are possible in the high elevations, and highs should reach the upper 30s to low 40s. Lows on Thursday night will crash into the high teens to low 20s under partly cloudy skies.

Thereafter, we've got some wintry activity to keep tabs on for the period of Friday through next Tuesday. For Friday, an Alberta Clipper system will travel along the front that passed through Thursday morning as it lays down more west to east in orientation. Recent model trends have brought this storm more northerly. I believe some snow showers are possible, and even some very light accumulation in the towns that border Massachusetts.

However, this storm could easily pass to our south, leaving us with partly sunny skies and highs in the upper 20s to low 30s. In addition, an Arctic cold front will push through Friday night and could bring some scattered snow squalls and drop us into the single digits below zero! Wind-chill readings could also drop below zero late Friday night into Saturday morning.

The weekend, as of now, looks cold and dry, with highs in the teens Saturday and 20s on Sunday as a snowstorm likely is suppressed to our south. We'll have lows in the single digits both nights.

By early next week, Monday looks to warm a bit with highs in the low 30s, but we'll have to pay attention to Tuesday, as a substantial snowstorm is possible. Have a great week!

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