Burlington, Vermont – Sweltering heat will grip parts of Vermont and upstate New York today as heat index values climb into the mid-90s, prompting a Heat Advisory from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service in Burlington, the advisory includes Chittenden and Addison counties in Vermont and Clinton and Essex counties in New York. Cities such as Burlington, Middlebury, Plattsburgh, and Ticonderoga could feel like 95°F this afternoon, with high humidity amplifying the risk of heat-related illnesses.
Local officials urge residents to limit outdoor activity, stay in air-conditioned spaces when possible, and check on vulnerable neighbors, especially the elderly and those without access to cooling. Schools and summer camps are advised to modify outdoor programming. Shelters and cooling centers in Burlington and Plattsburgh are expected to see increased traffic.
This is the sixth heat advisory issued this season for the Champlain Valley, continuing a trend of hotter-than-average July conditions. While storms are not expected today, the heat poses a silent danger.
Conditions should ease after sunset, but additional advisories are possible if the heat lingers into Friday.
