Montpelier, VT – The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Central and Southern Vermont, effective from 1:50 PM to 9:00 PM EDT today. Residents are urged to prepare for damaging winds, large hail, and the potential for tornadoes.
According to the NWS Storm Prediction Center, thunderstorms originating in central New York will rapidly move eastward across Vermont this afternoon. The primary threats include scattered damaging winds with gusts up to 75 mph and isolated large hail events with hailstones up to 1.5 inches in diameter. The watch area extends approximately 60 miles east and west of a line from 45 miles north-northeast of Saranac Lake, NY, to 30 miles southwest of Pittsfield, MA.
The severe weather is expected to cause significant turbulence and wind gusts up to 65 knots for aviation. Residents in the affected areas are advised to stay alert to threatening weather conditions and listen for subsequent updates and possible warnings. The NWS emphasizes that severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes, highlighting the need for vigilance.
