Weather

An atmospheric river and developing bomb cyclone brought heavy rain and fierce winds to many areas Wednesday, as well as the possibility of flooding. The wet weather comes after New England's ski resorts experienced a stretch of early snow that attracted skiers.

Heavy rains and melting snow are forecast for our region, and that could cause area rivers — like the Otter Creek at Rutland and the Winooski at Waterbury — to rise and overflow their banks.

Early December is expected to be colder than normal in New England. But the rest of the winter has a good chance of above-average temperatures.

A Nor’easter moving up the coast is expected to arrive with snow by mid-morning Thursday and intensify through the afternoon and evening.

"We're really encouraging people to take it slow if they have any travel, especially in southern Vermont, maybe try and do that on Wednesday rather than Thursday," says Rebecca Duell with the National Weather Service in Burlington.

The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has ordered all fire wardens to stop issuing burn permits until Nov. 11. Dry weather, high winds and an abundance of dry leaves are factors that have increased the risk of wildfires throughout the state.

The National Weather Service says a few inches of snow are possible at elevations of 1,500 feet and above. In addition, Killington has been firing up its snowmaking guns this week.

A Vermont forest health expert says leaf peepers can expect vibrant peak foliage from late September into early October.

There’s a high probability this fall will be warmer and wetter than normal, according to a prediction from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.

More than 24,000 Vermonters remained without power Saturday morning due to post-tropical cyclone Debby.