The National Weather Service in Burlington says icy road conditions are possible across Vermont Thursday night into Friday.
The spine of the Green Mountains and along the Interstate 91 corridor are most at risk of developing slick, icy road conditions, says Marlon Verasamy, a forecaster at NWS Burlington. Areas in the northern part of the state that are at higher elevations, including the Northeast Kingdom, are also likely to accumulate ice that poses a risk for commuters.
“Those areas will continue to see freezing rain into the morning hours — through probably mid-morning, tomorrow morning. So with that, we're going to see a lot of patches of black ice out there,” Verasamy says.
NWS issued a winter weather advisory for Friday, lasting from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Some areas at high elevations could experience minor power outages, but travel conditions are the biggest concern, according to Verasamy.
With temperatures near freezing, areas of black ice will be possible this evening, especially on untreated or elevated road surfaces.
— NWS Burlington (@NWSBurlington) January 25, 2024
Tomorrow, another round of freezing rain and wintry precipitation is expected. Check out https://t.co/bWrAqA7uKd for the details. #vtwx #nywx pic.twitter.com/WUcjzJtxs7
The National Weather Service is asking commuters to drive slowly and use caution in icy conditions. Verasamy says drivers should be especially careful on bridges and shaded portions of roads that are more likely to accumulate ice.
“If you do need to be out traveling, don't,” Verasamy says. “But if you do, by all means, assume there's black ice out there somewhere. So drive a little more cautiously, a little more careful. Because you can quickly go from pavements that are dry and have good traction to pavements where you start to lose traction immediately to black ice.”
Verasamy says early-morning travelers on Friday should consider delaying their commutes until temperatures rise above freezing.
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