Burlington, VT – Vermont may head into a colder and wetter Thanksgiving travel period, as new federal long-range forecasts show a 33–40% probability of above-normal precipitation across the state from November 23 through November 29. With seasonably cold temperatures in place, portions of the state may see mixed precipitation or periods of wet snow—especially in the mountains.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook released Saturday, Vermont sits on the northern flank of a developing storm corridor that stretches across the Great Lakes, upstate New York, and into New England. The elevated precipitation signal is modest but meaningful during late November, when temperatures often hover close to freezing.
The Green Mountains—including Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush, and Mount Snow—carry the strongest chance for early-season snowfall. Elevation routinely tips the balance toward accumulating wet snow during overnight and early-morning hours, and even light to moderate systems next week could bring slick conditions on mountain passes along Route 100 and Route 4.
The Burlington metro area may see a mix of cold rain and wet snow depending on timing, with the best chance for wintry precipitation coming late in the week as colder air deepens across northern New England. Meanwhile, Montpelier, Barre, and communities in central Vermont sit near the rain–snow transition zone and could experience slushy conditions if temperatures dip during peak precipitation windows.
Southern Vermont—including Bennington, Brattleboro, and Rutland—remains in the same 33–40% wet-signal corridor. Rain is most likely in valley locations, though higher terrain could pick up periods of wet snow or mixed precipitation during the middle or late part of the period.
Thanksgiving week brings significant travel volume on I-89, I-91, and US-7. Even light snow or mixed precipitation can lead to slower travel across the state’s mountainous terrain.
Forecasters expect more precise timing and snowfall details early next week as short-range models begin detecting individual storm systems.
