Winter Weather in Vermont, March 18, 2002

Name: Winter Weather in Vermont, March 18, 2002
Start: 2002-03-18T10:00
End: 2002-03-18T16:00
Location: Vermont

March 18, 2002 · NWS BTV · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

An area of low pressure moved from the Great Lakes region across New England during the day of March 18th. Light snow fell across the area with accumulations generally 3 to 6 inches of wet snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: $7,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 from the Great Lakes region across New England during the day of March 18th. Light snow fell across the area with accumulations generally 3 to 6 inches of wet snow. The greatest accumulations were in the higher terrain. Several automobile accidents were reported due to the slippery roads.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Burlington, VT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 18, 3:02 AM EST, 6 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 18, 3:02 AM EST, 6 hours 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
302 AM EST MON MAR 18 2002

WINTER MAKES A RETURN TO THE NORTH COUNTRY TODAY AND TONIGHT. GOOD
WARM ADVECTION PATTERN SETTING UP TODAY...WITH ISENTROPIC
OVERRUNNING EVIDENT AT 295K. 1000-850 HPA THICKNESSES PLENTY COLD
ENOUGH FOR SNOW. SEVERAL OTHER FACTORS SUGGEST MANY AREAS WILL SEE
SNOW CONTINUE INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THUS PUSHING 12 HOUR TOTALS
INTO THE ADVISORY RANGE. EXCELLENT WARM ADVECTION AT 850HPA THIS
EVENING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL VERMONT...COUPLED WITH STRONG VORTICITY
APPROACHING AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LIFT. ALSO
NORTHERN CWA IN LEFT EXIT REGION OF 160KT JET AT 300 HPA DURING THIS
PERIOD. CHAMPLAIN VALLEY WILL TEND TO SEE LESSER QPF DUE TO TYPICAL
SOUTH WIND EFFECTS.

A BRIEF RESPITE ON TUESDAY...THEN ACTIVE AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY WITH
POSSIBLE HYBRID COASTAL SYSTEM AFFECTING AREA WITH A WINTRY MIX OF
PRECIPITATION. BOUNDARY LAYER THICKNESS PROFILES ARE COLD ENOUGH FOR
MAINLY SNOW...BUT DUE TO IMMEDIATE SURFACE TEMPERATURES BEING WARMER
WILL GO WITH A MIX.

EXTENDED...IN WAKE OF DEPARTING COASTAL SYSTEM...WINTER RETURNS IN
FULL FORCE...WITH ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN AND LOW LEVEL
THICKNESSES CRASHING ALL DAY ON THURSDAY. WITH RIDGE AXIS OVERHEAD
BY SATURDAY MORNING AND FRESH SNOW COVER...THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY MAY
SEE THE ZERO MARK AFTER ALL.

WORK ZONES IN ALBWRKCWF.

GOFF/EVENSON

.BTV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY AND TONIGHT VT ZONES
       003-004-006>012 AND NY ZONES 026-027-029>031-034.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Caledonia

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Caledonia forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.465, -72.102 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Essex

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Essex forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.728, -71.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lamoille

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Lamoille forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.606, -72.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Orange

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Orange forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.006, -72.377 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Orleans

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Orleans forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.829, -72.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.273, -72.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Windsor

When: March 18, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Windsor forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Vermont in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Vermont, March 2002

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: 5285514, 5285515, 5285516, 5285517, 5285518, 5285519, 5285520.