Vermont, 1997

Winter Storm in Vermont, March 5 to 6, 1997

March 5 to 6, 1997 · NWS BTV · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

An area of low pressure moved out of the Ohio Valley Wednesday night (3/5/97) and across central New England early Thursday (3/6/97). Accumulations of heavy wet snow were generally 10 to 20 inches across North Central and Northeast Vermont with 8 to 16 inches across Southern and Western Vermont.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$385,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BTV wrote it up.

An area of low pressure moved out of the Ohio Valley Wednesday night (3/5/97) and across central New England early Thursday (3/6/97). It intensified into a "big one" and moved into the Canadian maritimes Thursday night.Accumulations of heavy wet snow were generally 10 to 20 inches across North Central and Northeast Vermont with 8 to 16 inches across Southern and Western Vermont. However, the greatest amount reported was 28 inches at Jay Peak along the Franklin/Orleans county border.At least 25,000 people lost power during the storm due to the heavy wet snow downing powerlines primarily in the counties of: Orange, Windsor, Caledonia, Rutland, Essex, Addison and Washington. In addition, portions of I-89 were closed due to numerous traffic accidents. Numerous traffic accidents were reported across the entire area.A few snowfall reports from this storm were:Jay Peak (Franklin/Orleans County border)....28 inchesSutton (Caledonia County)....................18 inchesBrookfield (Orange County)...................18 inchesEden (Lamoille County)......................17 inchesShoreham (Addison County)....................16 inchesWaitsfield (Washington County)...............16 inchesAlbany (Orleans County)......................16 inchesRutland (Rutland County).....................12 inchesRochester (Windsor)..........................12 inchesSouth Burlington (Chittenden County).........11 inchesEnosburg Falls (Franklin County).............11 inchesIsland Pond (Essex County)...................11 inches

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Orleans

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Orleans forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
44.829, -72.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Essex

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Essex forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
44.728, -71.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lamoille

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Lamoille forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
44.606, -72.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Caledonia

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Caledonia forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Coordinates
44.465, -72.102 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grand Isle

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Grand Isle forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
44.797, -73.295 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Franklin

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Western Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Coordinates
44.858, -72.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Chittenden

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Western Chittenden forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
44.461, -73.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washington

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
44.273, -72.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Addison

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Western Addison forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Coordinates
44.031, -73.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Orange

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Orange forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Coordinates
44.006, -72.377 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Rutland

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Western Rutland forecast zone
Property damage
$40,000
Coordinates
43.580, -73.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Windsor

When
March 5, 10:00 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Windsor forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Vermont in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, March 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5601850, 5601851, 5601852, 5601853, 5601854, 5601937, 5601938, 5601939, 5601940, 5601941, 5601942, 5601943.